How to Train Your Hunter
by KtyouVsWriting
Summary: This is Beacon Academy. It's one of the most prestigious academies in all of the four kingdoms of Remnant. And it has all the stuff to back that claim. We've got combat training, Grimm hunting, and beautiful view of Vale. The only problem is the students. While some schools may have bullies or cliques, we've got all of that. But we also have...teammates...partners...and romance.
1. Chapter 1: Enter the Hiccup

Chapter 1: Enter the Hiccup

 **En Route to Beacon Academy**

There was an airship that was headed to the prestigious Academy that was designated Beacon Academy.

And one its passengers was named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

He was the first of his family to attend combat school for training to be a huntsmen. It was the first time that he had taken to the air in a ship. But it was not the first time that he had taken to the air. He'd been up there many times. Hiccup knew the feeling flying and he loved it. This was a bit different, but he could at least be satisfied with being up here.

And he couldn't deny that he missed home. His mother, his father, both of them which he loved dearly. However, despite missing his parents, he didn't really care much for the people that lived there. For most of his life, despite training to be a warrior, he was ridiculed. He wanted to be a defender, but most people laughed at him. Other kids bullied him, and he had a few scars hidden to prove it.

Then some life-changing events happened and now he was a hero from where he was from. The kids his age now respected him as a warrior and as one of them. It had been a long time that he wanted to be accepted. And now he had it. It got to the point where his parents encouraged him to enroll to Beacon Academy. Although he hadn't come from a combat school, he had ample enough skills and then some to at least be considered.

So naturally when he had received his invitation to the school, he was elated beyond word. His parents were proud, and Berk cheered for the prodigy fighter.

His thoughts were interrupted by the news. It spoke of some criminal whose name didn't resonate any familiarity with Hiccup. He simply just watched the screen turn to a mugshot of the man. The man possessed fiery hair and an apparent love for white clothing and green eyes lighter than his own.

Being born far from of all of this mainstream stuff, he really hadn't too much of a clue what he was even looking at as the news went to another story concerning something about the White Fang. Whatever this group was, there didn't seem to be a good thing. However, he didn't know the details, so he couldn't really comment on anything they were talking about.

His home, Berk, was a rather isolated environment, which housed its own dangers. In fact, Grim sightings were next to zero. However, despite this, Hiccup grew up where people were born to fight. Even as a runt, he learned to fight. But because initially he was small, his battles were fought more with smarts and tactics rather than by brute force as his peers were more adept at.

Now, he was no longer weak physically speaking. Well he'd never been weak to begin with. At least physically speaking. Sure he looked small, but looks could be deceiving.

Then a new voice broke into his thoughts.

Hiccup's eyes turned to where the news had once been which was now replaced by a woman that he'd never seen before. But she appeared to be important somehow so Hiccup was content to listen and see what became of this.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon," she spoke in a calm voice.

The announcement of Beacon instantly attracted the attention of Hiccup. A faculty member no doubt, so it might be worth listening in.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. And now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world."

Inspiration speeches always were important to Hiccup. His father said enough of them. So no matter what the other students were thinking right now, he was smiling from left to right. It felt good to be part of something that was helping others.

Looking down, he could see the city that was beneath the ship. From looking at the view, all the buildings, even the tallest of the bunch were small and Hiccup could hold each of them in the palm of his hands.

Then someone sounded like they were about to lose the contents of their stomach. Hiccup turned his back to see a boy somewhere around his age with blue eyes and blonde hair and a rather casual-looking attire with armor platings.

Biting his lips lightly, Hiccup decided to go see if this kid was going to be okay. So he broke away from the window, ignoring everyone else and making his way to the other kid. However, the blonde was content to remain moving and struggling to keep his vomit in his mouth. It was leaking on the floor, and Hiccup carefully stepped away from the substance.

"Hey," Hiccup called out, "You okay?"

The blonde stopped for a moment to loop at the brown-haired boy, regarding him for a moment, then shaking his head in an affirmative no.

Hiccup wondered if perhaps there was a different means to get rid of the vomit. He looked around, but it seemed that there was no trash can or bin. So he was going to have to do this the hard way.

When the boy tried to move away, Hiccup used his strength to grab the kid and force his mouth shut.

"Keep the stuff down," Hiccup warned, "Just stop moving so much and calm down."

When it appeared that his efforts weren't going to work, Hiccup sighed before activating a portion of his aura healing ability. He began to focus on the blonde's overall health, slowing down the upset stomach he knew to be. Once he detected the root of the problem, he began to work to stabilize the imbalance.

Hiccup worked this for only a few moments, but by then, he could tell his efforts were fruitful as the blonde slowly stood up and took a long breath.

"Wow," he said, "Thanks. I don't know what you did, but thanks."

"No problem," Hiccup smiled, "I'm Hiccup."

"Hiccup," the blonde asked.

"My parents," Hiccup explained curtly, "And you are?"

"Jaune," the blonde answered.

Hiccup held out his partially-covered hand. Jaune seemed to regard him carefully before shaking it.

"Nice armor," Hiccup commented.

"I think yours looks way cooler," Jaune responded.

"Thanks," Hiccup released his grip, "Well, it was nice to meet you. Maybe we'll see each other later?"

"Sure, I guess," Jaune responded.

Hiccup detected a sense of nervousness. It was a bit apparent in his posture, and in general the way his expressions played out. Nervousness for a new school? New people? New everything? Those were likely the reasons.

With a nod, Hiccup returned to the ship's view port and looked out the window, continuing to admire the view.

"Attention students," a voice called out. "We are now docking at Beacon Academy. Please make your way to the landing deck."

With this, Hiccup quickly took to the doorway at the far end. Only one more door separated him from Beacon. It was time to see if this place lived up to all the hype he'd heard from so many people.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors finally opened. And Hiccup took in the sights and sounds and smells immediately.

Big was the first thing that came to mind. He wasn't even close to the actual buildings, and yet they filled his vision. And in his experience, big buildings had lots of cool things to look forward to. So things were looking up for him. Hiccup was still relatively new to the more urban lifestyle, so he was still getting use to giant buildings that could easily house his entire home.

Fancy was the second word that came to mind. The campus was so clean and pristine and ornate in its design. Never before had he seen anything like it. It was like looking at a whole new world. It looked like the harsh stuff of the world out beyond these borders hadn't touched this place.

Beacon Academy. The place where the only limit Hiccup saw was what you could imagine in your heart and mind. This was going to be a spectacular four years. He just knew it.

The stone pathway leading to the school made his left prosthetic make a slightly sharp noise, but thankfully those who passed him simply didn't see or didn't care. Or maybe it was because there were so many conversations going on that they couldn't hear metal against stone. Either way, Hiccup was fortunate that he'd gotten this far without anyone commenting about it.

"Nice peg leg," a voice called out.

 _I knew it was too good to be true,_ Hiccup sighed.

Turning his gaze, his green eyes found a girl with light lilac eyes, very long golden hair, and pale skin. She was shorter than him, though not be an enormous amount, as it looked like she stood at about his eyes.

"Nice to know that someone can comment on that without calling me a cripple," Hiccup joked.

"Now that's just downright mean," the girl frowned, "Who'd call you that? You're here at Beacon, which means you're not that crippled."

"A few might say otherwise," Hiccup shrugged, "Besides, I think you'll get a kick out of my name more than my prosthetic."

"It can't be that bad," she reasoned. "Now I'm curious. What is it? Do I even want to know? Never mind, don't answer that second question."

"My name is Hiccup Haddock III," he said.

"...you're joking," she immediately said.

"No, I'm not," the brown-haired boy shook his head, "That's my birth name."

"Well," she grinned, "Guess I don't need to call you anything else. I'm Yang Xiao Long. Nice to meet you too."

"I don't suppose you're kicking off your school year with a yang," Hiccup asked.

"That's a good one," she laughed, "Ever consider being class clown?"

"Never gave it much thought. Just here to make my parents proud. This whole thing's got me all excited. New opportunities and all."

"Me too," Yang smiled, "My little sister's excited too, though she could stand to talk to people?"

"You have a sister," Hiccup questioned.

"Yeah," Yang nodded, "Her name is Ruby. She's fifteen, two years younger than me. Good fighter, but she's afraid of being here. Thinks she's nothing special."

"Well for her to be here that young, she has to be good," Hiccup spoked. "Nobody gets here for being average."

"That's exactly what I told her," Yang exclaimed, "You know what, you should meet her. You'd be a good friend for her."

"If you say so," Hiccup chuckled. "I don't have siblings, so I can't say much about that."

For a moment, a very brief moment, the two of them were grinning like idiots. If there were any spectator, they might be confused as to what the two were grinning about.

"You know what," Yang assessed, "You're alright Hiccup."

Hiccup perked up in mild surprise.

"That's the first time someone met me and told me that."

"You're kidding. No you're not kidding. How could anyone say that about you?"

"Once I introduce you with my sarcasm," Hiccup snickered, "You might get the idea."

"Looking forward to it," Yang smirked, "Bet yours isn't as good as mine."

"We'll see about that. So I'm guessing that we're friends now?"

"Friends indeed."

She was the first to hold up her fist, and he confidently bumped her fist with his own. At this point, they were sizing each other up, sensing a competition at hand. Yang never backed down from a competition, and Hiccup couldn't pass up the chance to test his own mettle.

"Race ya," Yang called out.

"Don't let my prosthetic fool you," Hiccup challenged back.

Without another word, they both took off in a flash.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Yang was already finding herself in a rather happy mood. Already she had a friend who she could tell was someone she was going to get a serious kick out of. And no doubt he was going to get a kick out of her.

The first thing that came to mind in their first conversation was that there was no awkward pause or long silence. They took only moments to respond and answer each other. That was the sign of someone that could keep up with her. She liked that in a friend.

And the second thing she noticed was that he didn't check her out like lots of guys did. Hiccup had opted to simply keep his eyes on her own. That was strangely refreshing and a welcome change. It wasn't that she didn't care for being ogled, but for once she'd like to meet someone who didn't do just that. It had gotten to the point where Yang could predict that it would happen. And Hiccup was looking to be that someone.

And now that she thought of it, Hiccup didn't look too bad himself. He was a mix of boy cute and man handsome. His long wild hair was certainly something that added to his appeal. And she recalled seeing just a few freckles that looked like the last sign of a boy. Hiccup's classification of good-looking was different from many guys she'd seen. She didn't really have a word for it yet. She'd figure one out eventually.

And it did surprise Yang that even with a prosthetic, Hiccup ran like he'd been with one his whole life. She'd have to ask him about that once she won the race.

It took them only a minute or two to get to where all the students were assembling at the speeds that they were going. And when did reach their destination, they did so together, with no one having a clear or defined edge.

"What do you say," Hiccup asked. "Draw?'

"I'd say I won," Yang said, "But you're my new friend, so a draw sounds about good."

They both entered the room to find a wide variety of students left and right. These people were going to be their new classmates for the next four years. And there were a lot of people here. Hiccup and Yang took to looking around and seeing if anyone stuck out as someone they could be friends with.

"See anyone you know," Hiccup inquired.

"Nope," Yang shook her head, "Well it was worth a try. Guess you're gonna have to do."

"I'm gonna have to do," Hiccup mock-exclaimed, "You wound me, dear Yang. Being your substitute for a real friend."

"Be glad you're not on the receiving end of my gauntlets." she warned playfully.

Hiccup's gaze turned to the gauntlets on her wrists. They didn't look like much now, so he had to ask her about it.

"What do you gauntlets do?"

Without saying anything, Yang activated her weapons, which opened to reveal shotgun shells lined up neatly around the golden metal. She look up to the boy to see him looking at them with more than fleeting interest.

"Shotguns," he said, "What kind of shells are those?"

"Kinetic," she said, "Made my pride and joy myself. I like to get up close and personal."

Her gaze fell to his armored outfit. So far, he'd been the only one wearing armor that looked to be of a heavy-set style. The black armored covered his upper body and shoulders. but the rest of his body was a leather suit. It looked like the thing came packed with a lot of things. Then she noticed two metal cylinders attached to holsters on his leg.

"What about you," she asked. "What do you have?"

"Maybe later," he looked around warily. "My weapons aren't quite as discreet as yours."

"Scared," she teased.

"You wish," he snarked. "You'll find fear to be the thing I have at the back of my mind."

She just gave a light punch, which didn't really move him at all. He didn't even so much as flinch. And with that, the two of them took a spot more towards the back of the assembly.

It was then that she noticed a very familiar sight: Ruby Rose, better known as her baby sister.

"Ruby," she cried out. "Over her."

Hiccup turned his head to see a girl dressed in what he could only describe as a very unusual outfit. A battle dress and a cloak would be most appropriate he guessed since most of these people were dressed like they were ready for combat. She didn't carry any weapons that he could see immediately. Unlike her sister, she had shorter black hair and dark silver eyes. They carried a bit of the similar face shape, but apart from that, the resemblance wasn't quite there.

Next to her was the blonde kid, Jaune, who appeared to be talking to her. It looked like Ruby had already made a friend. Yang knew that kid as vomit boy. Hiccup knew him as Jaune. Ruby left the boy and went over to her sister.

"Hey lil sis," Yang cheered, "Getting to know anyone?"

"Hardly," Ruby grumbled, "And thanks for ditching me."

"Hey hey," Yang raised her hands, "Come on. I want you to meet my new friend."

As Ruby was pushed forward, she was instantly greeted by someone tall. She had to look up to meet his eyes. He looked to be about the same height as Jaune, which was considerably tall. But unlike Jaune whose hair was a light blonde and somewhat presentable, this guy's hair was even more wild and brown. And unlike the dark blue eyes of Jaune, he had dark emerald eyes. A few freckles.

"You're Ruby," he stated, "Yang has told me a lot about you."

"Yeah," she rubbed her hair subconsciously, "I-I d-didn't catch you name."

"Hiccup Haddock," he smiled lightly.

That caught Ruby's attention and she couldn't help herself as she laughed. Yang didn't hesitate to jump in.

"Don't forget the third."

"So there are three of you in your family," Ruby struggled to say between laughs, "Okay, I certainly wasn't expecting that."

"Well this Hiccup is here at Beacon," he reasoned, "So obviously I'm doing something right. I hear you think you're too young to be here."

That certainly turned the tables back to Ruby, which Yang picked up on immediately. She watched to see how her sister would respond.

"Yeah," Ruby shrinked back a bit, "I'm nothing special. Just a lucky kid."

"You don't get here by luck," Hiccup shook his head, "You get here by being better than average. And judging by your age, I'd say you likely had a special interview with the headmaster over there."

How'd you know," Ruby's eyes widened. Yang was impressed by his rather assertive side.

"Intuition."

"You make it sound so simple," Yang chimed in.

"Trade secret," Hiccup said, "Stays with me. But anyway, Ruby, you're here. That means you have a lot of skill to be here. I know from experience that luck doesn't cut it in the world."

Ruby finally had the courage to look up to Hiccup. Yang could see that Hiccup was actually getting to Ruby. And the elder sister secretly cheered for him to do so. This was just the thing that Ruby needed to break out of her shell.

"Thanks," the younger sister acknowledged, "I guess."

"So how are you liking Beacon so far?"

"It's a great place," Ruby instantly lit up, "Except for this one girl who was bossing me around like she owned the world. White dress. Pale skin. Snobby. Annoying."

As Ruby went on to describe this girl she saw, Hiccup's eyes for a moment flickered to someone behind Ruby. And as the black-haired girl continued to rant, he began to match the description to this second girl. Then his eyes shifted to Yang who gave him a scolding expression. Realizing that Yang thought he was being inattentive, he flickered his eyes to the girl behind Ruby. Yang got the hint and looked over, and then put two and two together, giving Hiccup an amused expression.

"Uh Ruby," Hiccup began.

"And to make matters worse, she called me a dolt," Ruby ignored Hiccup, "I do not like being called names. And I don't appreciate people who are so bratty."

"Ruby," Hiccup tried again.

"And to make matters worse, she expected an apology from me because I accidently caused her a mess."

"RUBY," he shouted.

"What," she asked.

Hiccup merely gestured with his head behind the girl. And then Ruby turned to see the person of her ire right behind her. Hiccup and Yang turned to each other.

"Awkward," they both mouthed simultaneously.

Then Hiccup didn't see Ruby. It took him only a moment to register someone hiding behind him. He looked down and to his right to see Ruby mostly concealing herself using him as a shield. That didn't seem to stop the other girl from glaring daggers.

"So what happened," Hiccup finally asked.

"She caused some dust to explode," the other girl seethed, "She was lucky that we weren't on a cliff."

"Dust," Hiccup asked instantly.

"Yes," Ruby squeaked.

"Look," Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know what happened, but I think that maybe you two should start over. I mean, at least you're still alive and well...um...sorry I don't believe we've met."

"Weiss Schnee," she said confidently and annoyingly.

If Hiccup had to guess, her name probably should mean something important to him, but it didn't, so he proceeded as he normally would. And he prayed that she didn't comment on that.

"Right," Hiccup nodded, "So anyway, Weiss, perhaps an introduction between you two might help?"

And with that, Hiccup carefully removed Ruby from behind him and pushed the girl in front of him. Ruby pleaded with him not to do it, but Hiccup remained adamant. This wasn't really his problem to fix. He could only do so much for the two of them.

"So, I-I-I'm Ruby. Nice to m-meet you W-Weiss."

The hand that Ruby offered went unshaken by Weiss. Hiccup frowned and Yang cringed a bit.

"If you want to make it up to me," Weiss snapped, "Take this, and don't talk to me."

With that, the pale girl shoved a pamphlet into Ruby's hands and turned away.

Then she turned to give Hiccup a look of death. Hiccup simply gave the shorter girl an apologetic look. And that strangely was enough to bring a small smile to Ruby's face. Yang let out a small breath of relief. It could've been worse. And at least Hiccup tried.

It was then that the feedback of a microphone could be heard.

Everyone turned their attention towards the stage to whom everyone recognized as Headmaster Ozpin. He looked...odd.

"I'll keep this brief," he stated.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed in thought. Something sounded unsettling already.

"You have travelled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

All of the prospective students were sensing a 'but' coming up.

And they were right.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose. Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far."

How right he was, many of the children knew. Hiccup especially knew of this hard life lesson.

"It is up to you to take the first step," Ozpin concluded.

Hiccup looked amongst his newest friends. Ruby gave him a questioning look, which he shrugged his shoulders at. He then turned to Yang, who also shrugged her shoulders.

It was then that another professor stepped forward. It was the same one that spoke to the students on the ship.

"You will gather at the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Everyone began to disperse. No doubt people were going to get lost on campus.

"What was that all about," Yang asked.

"I guess we'll see," Hiccup affirmed, "So I guess it's off to this ballroom."

"Yeah, sure," Ruby said.

* * *

 **I'm not much of an anime/manga fan like some people, but I decided to at least give it a chance with RWBY, and I must say, there's room for a lot of story-telling in this universe. And I suppose that this is where I'll start. This story is going to be a deviation from my main stories when I'm having writers block with those. So like I may have said with other stories, I can't promise stable updates.**

 **Now I'm not sure how popular this story will be, and quite frankly, when I put romance as one of the genres, I wasn't sure who's going with who. To that end, I'm opening this up to viewers reading. If you've got an opinion or idea as to who I should pair Hiccup with, then please do so. And if you could, a brief explanation as to why you think it's a good pairing. This goes for both partners, teams, and possible romances.**

 **I also thought about Hiccup's overall look. I think that with some work, he could be made into a good anime character. I have yet to find a picture of him drawn in anime style. Maybe I'll attempt one. I don't know. And also Hiccup is age 18 in this story. And I'm using his full armor from HTTYD 2. And he doesn't yet have braids. A compromise between his TV and Movie appearance.**

 **So anyway, if you loved this chapter, leave it in a review. if you hated this chapter, let me know why. And feedback is appreciated and encouraged. And don't forget to leave pairings, teams, and romance thoughts and reasons.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed my first attempt at a RWBY and HTTYD crossover, and remember, art is no longer restricted to merely what is drawn or painted on paper. Art describes a passion to do something that you love.**

 **Peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Rest for the Prelude

**Warning: This story from this point on will break away from canon. Remember that.**

Chapter 2: Rest for the Prelude

 **Beacon Academy**

 **Evening**

The rest of the day had been relatively simple. Rest and recharge were the goal of everyone there. For many of the students, that was exactly what the doctor had ordered. It had been a long travel for some of the students. Some had even settled into naps and sleeping already.

For others, it was a chance to get to know their fellow peers. It was after all a new place. Already some friendships were being made as apparent by the students gathering into small groups. All in all, it was a rather quiet setting

Hiccup, on the other hand, had resorted to a more quiet way to pass the time.

Throughout his whole life, he had gathered a wealth of skills. One of the things he'd been doing since he was a kid was drawing and sketching. Years of practice had honed him into a very skill and detailed drawer. Couple this with photographic memory and he could draw just about anything from just seeing it once. These were both useful and fun skills to have at his disposal. And that was why he carried a notebook with him wherever he went.

So what was he drawing right now?

Well, he was drawing Beacon Academy actually. The school had already made quite the impression upon the boy, so he opted to draw it from his position atop his sleeping bag. The relative quiet around him helped him to keep working on his sketch. It was too bad that he didn't anything to color it in. Maybe he could go and purchase coloring supplies once he settled into a schedule.

It did take him some time considering that he was sure to draw every detail that he recalled. It was also his first time drawing Beacon Academy as well. He was bound to get several details wrong somewhere, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. Trial and error was his bread and butter for most things he learned.

"Mind if I sit here," a voice called out.

Hiccup turned to see another boy, this one with blue hair shaved off on the sides, an undercut. Both of them had similar messy hair, though this guy had obviously shorter hair than the brown-haired boy. Goggles were on his head, giving him a sort of nerd appearance. He wore a simple white and blue t-shirt, unlike the many guys showing off their amazing physique

"Nah, it's cool," Hiccup gestured to the empty spot next to him.

"I'm Neptune. Neptune Vasilias," he said, setting out his sleeping bag.

"Hiccup Haddock III," Hiccup responded.

"I'm curious, but I won't ask," Neptune commented.

"It's good to know that someone actually can think," Hiccup chuckled, "I was beginning to think that intellectuals were going out of style."

"I know right," Neptune shook his head, "So where are you from?"

"You wouldn't have heard of it," Hiccup put his book aside, "I come from a small island called Berk. It's located in the northern part of Vacuo."

"So you're a good fighter," Neptune stated.

"My parents would say that I'm a master swordsman," Hiccup elaborated, "Though I think they overinflated it just a bit."

"You got a sword," Neptune asked while sitting down. "I don't see one here."

"Not the typical sword," the brown-haired boy said, "It's a bit more innovative. Or imitative depending upon your perspective. It'll get too much attention here."

"Ah, the humble one," Neptune nodded, "Well, anyway, you meet any of the girls here?"

"Yeah," Hiccup gave an awkward look, "Sure. Not really sure what to make of them yet. Well except one."

Hiccup gazed around the room to see if he could spot the girls that he was thinking of. There were so many in this room. And at this time, a large portion of prospective students were still awake. He had a lot of people to get to know and familiarize himself with.

Luckily, it didn't take him too long to find who he was looking for. They somehow stood out amongst the crowd of colorful people here.

Yang and Ruby were standing together in their sleeping attire as well, Ruby looking a bit more anxious than Yang. It was then that Yang met his gaze from across the room and gave him a wink. Not really having any other way to acknowledge her, he did the same.

"That's them over there," Hiccup nodded his head to the two sisters.

Neptune followed his new acquaintance's nod and saw the two sisters. He gave a bit of a low whistle.

"Not bad," he grinned, "Not bad at all."

"It's nothing like that," Hiccup stated, "I just met them. They're both sisters. Yang's the blonde one. Ruby's the raven-haired one."

Hiccup turned to see that Neptune was also scanning the crowd. It was probably just as well; Neptune was trying to spot a familiar face.

Or maybe he was cruising for pretty faces. Hiccup didn't know, and was honestly not really interested in knowing.

"Hey," Hiccup felt a light tap on his shoulder, "See that girl over there?"

The pair of emerald eyes followed the blue-haired intellectual's question to find whom Hiccup instantly recognized as the girl from the auditorium speech. Her name was Weiss Shnee, and she was the kind of person that most people didn't like. But Hiccup didn't want to hate the girl. She was different than any of them, and he wouldn't pretend to understand her. At least not until he actually got to know her as a person.

If he ever got that chance, that is.

"Her name is Weiss," Hiccup informed Neptune, "Though I'd be a bit careful around her. She seems like the kind of girl that is expecting a lot."

"I'll go talk to her," Neptune cracked his knuckles, "Make sure no one steals my spot."

Before Hiccup could bother to object or respond, his new buddy had taken off, leaving him alone once again.

Hiccup sighed and turned back to his drawing. He wasn't the type of guy that was confident like that. Humility was what made Hiccup who he was. He simply didn't see the need to be a show-off or a shameless flirt like what Neptune seemed to be.

But Hiccup couldn't really find it in himself to hate the guy. Neptune was after all willing to listen to him and hear him out. That was more than most of Hiccup's acquaintances could say. Maybe he could be friends with this one. They'd gotten off to a good start at least.

"Hey there, Hiccup," a familiar voice called to him.

Before Hiccup could greet her back, Yang so very casually flung herself on to the unoccupied part of his sleeping bag, laying on her side as she met his eyes. He gave her a bit of an assertive look.

"I see you've taken advantage of my sleeping bag," Hiccup responded.

"And it's a comfy one," Yang stated.

"So how's Ruby doing," he quickly changed subject.

"She's doing okay all things considered," Yang gazed at Ruby, "Though she could still stand to be a bit more open. She's still kind of closed off."

"And you," Hiccup questioned. "Is this your cup of tea?"

"This is my arena," she propped her head on her right hand, "Crowds are my thing."

"That I don't doubt," Hiccup's eyes returned to his drawing.

He momentarily forgot about Yang's presence next to him. And then he turned stiff when he felt someone close to him. Without moving his body, his eyes flickered down to see she was looking at his work, and very intently.

"Whoa," she exclaimed, "Did you do this?"

"Yeah," Hiccup continued to work, "Drawing is my thing. I figured why not try to draw the place I'm going to be at for the next few years?"

"This has amazing detail," Yang noted, "Are you a master artist?"

"Not really," Hiccup said, "Just a guy who learned from trial and experience."

"I wouldn't even be able to tell," the blonde complimented.

"Thanks," he paused, "I think."

It was then that Yang's eyes shifted to his prosthetic foot. Hiccup knew what was to come next.

"So what's it like living with that," she looked up at him.

"Pretty much the same as if I hadn't lost it," Hiccup shrugged, "Not much to talk about. I've gotten use to it. It's like any other part of my body."

"Does it hurt," Yang tilted her head in wonder.

"Initially yeah, but I made the thing, so I've found ways to make is less uncomfortable. I've made lots of adjustments over the three years I've had it."

"Wait, you made your own prosthetic," Yang's widened a bit.

"It that so surprising," Hiccup asked, "I mean, I'm sure most of the people here build their own weapons."

"But don't you usually leave prosthetics to the doctors and hospitals," the blonde questioned.

"Yeah," Hiccup laughed, "But I'm tough. And besides, I've got engineering skills. Why waste money when I can do it myself?"

"Any way you put it," Yang said, "It's pretty cool."

With nothing to say to her after this, Hiccup simply returned to his drawing. Yang gave him a bit of an intense stare, which he soundly ignored.

While he didn't know it, Yang was trying to piece together what sort of a person Hiccup was. The first thing she could determine was that he was a nerd. Or maybe dork was a better word to label him as. Or maybe both were just fine. But was it really that bad to be all of those things? Being brainy was a good thing in Yang's opinion, and if she could be brainy, she would be, not to say that should couldn't apply her own smarts. It's just that she wasn't that much into the brainy stuff.

And judging by the way he carried himself, he wasn't too much of a social person either. Yang knew the definition of a social person. She was after all a very outgoing person and thrillseeker. And being like she was for many years, she had trained herself to figure out people based on conversation. And her instincts told her that Hiccup was modest, not really one to show off skills that should be shown off. In a way, it was like Ruby. And that made him all the more connectable.

 _And more easy to mess with,_ the blonde grinned internally. _And now that I think about it, I wanna know how he ended up with a missing foot._

"Sup," another voice said.

"So how'd your conversation go with Weiss," Hiccup asked the voice.

"Pretty good actually," Yang turned to see the blue-haired boy, "It was actually pretty simple. Not much to it."

"Uh-huh," Hiccup drawled, "Neptune, Yang. Yang, Neptune."

"Nice to meet you," Neptune held his hand out.

The guy had a goofy expression on his face, and Yang simply gave him an inquisitive stare as she shook his hand.

It was that kind of guy.

"Well," Yang got up, "It's been a real slice. I'll see you later Hiccup. Don't be a stranger."

With that, she turned to leave, giving him a final glance before turning her attention back to her little sister. Ruby had gotten out her notebook, no doubt writing some of her thoughts and feelings into it.

"It's like a big slumber party," Yang collapsed next to Ruby.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys," Ruby continued to write.

Yang's glance returned to Hiccup.

"And I don't think," Ruby continued, "That dad would approve of what you're doing,

"What am I doing," Yang tiled her head in curiosity.

"You know what I mean," Ruby put her pencil down, "Hiccup."

"Him," Yang sighed, "Nah. We're just friends. Now you and Jaune…"

"What," Ruby looked a bit taken aback, "No. We're just friends."

"My point exactly," Yang smiled.

Yang took note of what Ruby was writing, and it looked like a letter, not a personal note or gushy stuff.

"Friends from Signal," Yang reported, "You're still worried about friends aren't you?"

"I don't know anyone here," Ruby hissed.

"You call Jaune a friend," Yang reasoned. "And you know Hiccup."

"I don't know," Ruby sighed.

The raven-haired girl turned to see Hiccup drawing in his notebook, but she could also see him talking to the boy next to him. She gave a small smile at his personality. He wore simple t-shirt and pants. He wasn't being like the other guys around him. He was pretty cool so far. She smiled a bit.

"...okay so he's really nice," Ruby confessed, "And gentle. And apologetic. And kind of cute."

And then she spotted Jaune, who was much differently dressed than Hiccup. In fact, the pajamas he wore were extremely goofy and silly. Ruby suppressed a bit of a giggle at the boy being so casual about it.

"...and Jaune's about the same," the girl said, "Only with a different look."

"Their looks aren't the same," Yang disagreed, "Jaune still looks like a boy. Hiccup's in some twilight place in between a boy and a man."

"Just how much have you looked at Hiccup," Ruby's gaze turned to her older sister, "Nobody really can describe that much about a person without a lot of looking."

"Ruby," Yang faked a hurt expression, "I'm surprised you even have to question it. My outgoing nature allows me to see a lot of things about people. It comes with the territory."

"If you say so," Ruby shrugged, then settled onto her sleeping bag.

Yang sighed quietly. Ruby was still insecure about this whole thing. As much as Ruby had earned the right to come to Beacon Academy, the younger sister still hadn't fully accepted it. And she wanted to come here. So why shouldn't she feel so stoked about that?

"Ruby," Yang sat up, "It hasn't even been a day yet. You've still got years ahead of you. Don't call it a disaster yet. You will meet friends. These things take time."

Ruby's eyes remained closed, but she sighed, indicating that she was listening to Yang's words.

"I guess," Ruby acknowledged.

Then Ruby saw yet another familiar face. It was that girl with the black bow and golden yellow eyes. She was staring really intently at her book, likely really absorbed by it. Something about that girl wanted to make Ruby try to talk to her. However, she was also afraid of being the first to talk.

"Someone else you know, Ruby," Yang asked.

"No," Ruby shook her head, "I saw her earlier."

"Let's go talk to her," Yang grabbed Ruby's arm. "We can both make a new friend."

"What," Ruby frantically tried to release herself, but to no avail.

She continued to fight the blonde's grip until they were already in sight of the new girl. And there was no use trying to escape it because it would make an already awkward introduction turn into a complete disaster, something that Ruby didn't want to happen.

Meanwhile, Hiccup had been greeted by someone else. Apparently, Neptune had a friend name Sun Wukong. The blonde was a faunus. Hiccup hadn't seen too many of those, and if he didn't see the tail, he wouldn't have guessed that Sun was a faunus. But even if he was one, Hiccup didn't see the need to be a bully or insult the kid. Honestly, Hiccup saw no difference between the two species. One simply possessed animal additions. Nothing serious in reality, and yet it was such a big divide.

"I'm glad to find someone else who doesn't insult faunus," Sun said relieved. "So what's your deal?"

"I have my reasons," Hiccup answered, "Let's just say I know what it is to be different than others."

"Sounds cryptic," Sun observed, "I was never really one for solving that stuff."

"Take it however you like," Hiccup closed his notebook, "I'm just glad to find people who don't insult my prosthetic."

"I hear that," Sun agreed, "If I had a drink I'd say 'Here's to the abnormals.'"

"Hey," Neptune interrupted, "I'm normal here."

"And yet you decided to join the dork squad," Hiccup deadpanned, "Yeah, I'd say you're pretty normal."

"I'm hurt," Neptune put a hand to his chest, "Truly, you guys wound me."

"Yeah," Hiccup remarked, "Pretty traumatic how much I hurt your overinflated ego, Neptune. Truly."

The guys simply chuckled in response to Hiccup's remark. It seemed that they were getting along well. They might as well be friends at this point seeing as they were taking sarcastic shots at each other and doing so without offending each others.

"So," Hiccup turned to Sun, "Before Neptune asks, I'll ask you, Sun. You find anyone that catches your eye?"

"Actually," Sun looked around, "Over there. See where those girls are?"

Hiccup's neck craned to see a girl sitting with a book in her lap and three candles lit by her side. And there was Ruby and Yang next to her. If he had to guess, Yang was trying to get Ruby to open up to another person.

"You mean the girl with the bow on her head," Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, her," Sun responded, "I don't know who she is, but something about her makes me wonder."

"Maybe she's a faunus like you," Hiccup offered.

"Yeah, maybe," Sun chuckled. "You never know. In fact, I just met you, so you could be a faunus too without me knowing."

"Me," Hiccup's eyes widened, "No. No. I'm not a faunus. I don't think I am at any rate."

"You seemed real nervous," Neptune poked. "You sure about that?"

"Guys," Hiccup growled. "I know what I am."

"Okay," Sun raised his hands in surrender, "Don't read too much into it."

Hiccup simply pushed Sun with his left hand, giving an annoyed expression. Sun didn't take it too seriously though as he laughed lightly. Neptune too joined in. Hiccup was looking anywhere but the guys.

Then all of a sudden, he saw what looked to be trouble. Weiss, Ruby, Yang, and the other girl.

"I'll be right back," Hiccup said without thought.

Something was about to go down; Hiccup could feel it in his gut. And he needed to stop it before it turned into something worse. He'd seen this happen many times between people who disliked one another. And as a peacekeeper, Hiccup wasn't just about to let this happen without at least trying to lessen hostilities.

"Guys," Ruby sounded freaked out, "We're making a scene. Can we not?"

"You're one to talk," Weiss snapped, "You're plenty good at making scenes."

"Like you can do any better, princess" Yang retorted back.

"What's that suppose to mean," the white-haired girl demanded.

"Figure it out, numbskull," Yang narrowed her eyes, "Or do you even have the brains to figure it out with?"

"How dare you," Weiss pointed an accusing finger.

"Oh I do dare," the blonde snarked back, "Because unlike you, I've got some bite to back up my bark."

Both Weiss and Yang were quick to invade each other's space and stare at each other with angry faces, ready to do something worse than throwing insults at each other. Ruby at this point was panicking, unsure what to do about this situation. Her attempt to defuse the situation hadn't gone the way she wanted.

However, she didn't need to get further involved as both Weiss and Yang were distanced from each other. Ruby didn't see him for a moment. How did he get here so fast?

Hiccup now stood between the two warring girls, his head shifting from both of them every second, looking calm but also determined at the same time.

"Enough already," Hiccup interrupted, "All of you are wasting time fighting each other when we came to Beacon to fight the bad guys and Grimm."

All the girls now turned their attention to him, even the girl Ruby knew as Blake. She had stopped looking at her book and watched the boy as he stood in between the conflict.

"I don't really know why you guys fight," he said, "And frankly, I don't care. We have an initiation tomorrow. It shouldn't matter to me, but I'd like to think that at all of you will pass and become part of the school rather that waste your energy here and now, then fail and maybe die tomorrow."

As much as hostilities still lingered, they had calmed down considerably as his words hit home for both Weiss and Yang. They were now not so completely focused on each other as Hiccup now had everyone's attention.

"Weiss," he turned to her, "I think you've made your point. You don't like Ruby. So don't stay here."

"And Yang," Hiccup looked to the blonde, "Don't encourage more hostilities. It's not worth it to you or to Weiss."

"But she started it," Yang replied, pointing to Weiss.

"No," Weiss disagreed, "You started it."

"I don't care who started it," Hiccup growled, "I'll finish it."

Yang could've sworn that she actually heard a very animalistic growl come from Hiccup's mouth. That was more than enough to give her a bit of fear. Weiss too seemed a bit intimidated by Hiccup and took a couple steps back. Blake watched Hiccup with careful eyes and a growing curiosity. It was like she could sense something off about him, but the feeling wasn't mutually exclusive. He too felt a gut feeling that told him there was more to her than what he could see.

Now wasn't the time however to wonder about this feeling.

"Get outta here," Yang dismissed Weiss. "You're not worth it."

"I will," Weiss spat back. "But I'd better not hear you all again."

With that, Weiss turned to leave the group and everyone watched her leave, with Yang still staring with a seething glare. When she had put enough distance from their group, ensuring that no further conflict was going to happen, Hiccup turned to leave himself. He felt a bit drained himself. He would need sleep for tomorrow.

"Thanks for that," Ruby said. "I kinda froze up."

"That's what friends are for," Hiccup spoke casually, "I'm not sure I should've gotten involved to begin with. I wonder if I'm going to regret this later."

"You did fine," Yang assured him, "At the very least, we'll leave each other alone for the rest of the night."

"That was an effective way to stop an escalating conflict," Blake finally said.

Ruby watched as Hiccup turned to the Blake. He regarded her for a moment before introducing himself.

"Sorry, I don't believe we've met before."

"I'm Blake," she said.

"Hiccup," he replied back.

Ruby watched with a trace of jealousy when Blake's yellow eyes actually seemed very focused on Hiccup, like she actually was holding a conversation with him. Even she hadn't held Blake's intense focus, not like Hiccup managed to do it.

"So what's that you're reading," Hiccup asked.

"It's a story," Blake explained, "About a person who has two souls in his body. Each fighting for control."

"Hmm," Hiccup mulled that over, "Interesting. I would ask more about it, but I think you'd rather read it. It was nice to meet you Blake."

"Likewise...Hiccup," she drew out.

"Don't cause any more trouble," Hiccup turned his eyes to Yang and Ruby. "I don't want to have to keep breaking up arguments."

Without another word, Hiccup left and rejoined the guys. Yang decided that now was a good time to go to sleep. Ruby too felt a twinge of fatigue grip at her. So they both quietly made their way back to their sleeping bags. Yang didn't immediately fall asleep, but Ruby sure did. And for a few minutes, the elder sister simply watched her sister as she slept heavily. The day must've taken a toll on her.

But tomorrow was going to be a huge day. The initiation was surrounded by many rumors and ghost stories. None of them were certain and Yang had stopped listening to the stories. She would get to see what they were all about herself, and then that was one less thing to ask about in her head.

* * *

 **I did say unstable updates, didn't I? So why am I updating so early? Because I'm feeling on a roll right now. I've got lots of stuff planned. It just needs to be written. So don't worry about there not being a plan. However, my on a roll thinking could change. I've got finals to worry about in three weeks, so that may be a bit longer than you guys want, but that may be how's it's going to have to be.**

 **And if you read this, then you survived my changing of the characters. By that, I mean Neptune and Sun. I think some of you know what I'm going to do. Or maybe you don't. I certainly won't tell. I may or may not keep canon teams and partners. Who knows with me? You'll just have to read and find out. And another reason I'm doing this is in order to create even teams. Hiccup needs a team, and making him a loner is not a good idea, nor is a team of two or three. I will be considering characters from all over RWBY. So be warned. Canon ends pretty much here. Take that copy-cats out there!**

 **Anyway, I read the feedback given to me and it was sort of how I thought it would go more or less. And that means I'm going to have to do a lot more brainstorming. You guys gave me new ideas and concepts to try out. I just hope I can make a story that's convincing and compelling. And like I said, I've been watching all the RWBY episodes and watching character interactions very closely. Battle scenes I can do on my own more or less.**

 **If you liked this chapter, leave a review. If you hated this chapter, I want to know why. And any feedback or ideas will be appreciated. All ideas will be considered and read. That's my number one rule regarding reviews.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this early chapter and remember, a leader has followers who follow willingly while a tyrant has followers who are forced to follow.**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Chapter 3: We are Cleared for Launch

Chapter 3: We are Cleared for Launch

 **Beacon Academy**

 **Morning**

As it turned out, Hiccup was one of the few early risers today. Only several other people woke up as early as he did. He still had at least two hours before he really needed to be awake. And he didn't really want to go back to sleep. He was perfectly fine as he was now.

So he simply opted to get a mental map of the school in his head. He didn't go into any buildings, but he did memorize the locations and buildings and places of note. That had taken him about thirty minutes. The second was to get a proper meal before the initiation. He had been sure to pack extra food for himself from home. He'd made the food himself because his father wasn't one for cooking and as for his mother…

Hiccup shuddered at that thought. As much as he loved his mother very dearly, her cooking was...lacking very much so. She knew of course, but that didn't stop her from trying to get better. With pretty much no success.

After taking about half an hour to get the right amount of food, he took to doing a check of himself physically. His prosthetic was fine. None of his body felt tense. That was a good thing because in this initiation, he had no doubt that being at his best was going to get him far. There was no telling how long this initiation was going to be. He certainly wasn't about to go assuming anything.

For the remaining hour, he wrote a few notes in his journal and took a few images from his mind and drew them out. His notebook was filled with both writing and drawings. He was sure to keep organized so he could maximize his space to use. Today's images weren't anything of real use to him, at least nothing he could refer to and possible build or make. They were simply some of the more artistic drawings.

Time seemed to pass all too quickly as the majority of the student body began to rise from their sleeping bags. Hiccup raced to shower down, even knowing that possibly it wouldn't matter because he was bound to get down and dirty today. But a habit was a habit, nothing he cared to change.

Then he went to his assigned locker, where his armor and weapons were stacked. Well he still had his blade concealed with his stuff while he slept. Call it paranoia or preparedness, but Hiccup always felt better when his blade was with him. He hoped he wouldn't have to sleep with it or keep it by his side constantly.

So he went to his locker, and carefully decked himself out in everything he had. It took him about ten minutes to fully get his armor in place with all buckles and straps and such secure. He retrieved his other offhand blade and strapped it to his side. His notebook was concealed in its slot behind his armor. He had additional pages hidden on his right gauntlet along with his mounted compass. His knife was in its sheath on his left gauntlet. And one more thing he needed: his custom-built shield. It was a perfect circle shape, but the front was jet-black painted with the symbol of a red dragon. On the surface, nothing special. But he it had plenty of surprises. He strapped that to his back, the magnet on his back instantly snapping it into place.

Now he was ready.

With a final shove, he quietly made his way to the launch site as instructed by Professor Ozpin.

Hiccup was unsure what to think of the man. He seemed illusive and mysterious, that much was certain. He knew something, maybe not anything that would be dangerous for his students, but that look in his eye, the critical look, it spoke of something Hiccup had seen before, but still had trouble understanding. It was probably not worth noting now anyway. He'd maybe figure that one out later.

In his thoughts he failed to see that someone was in his path, but by that point, it was too late. He felt something collide with him in front of him. His immediate reaction was to see if anything was dropped. As it turned out, a shield lay in front of him. similar to his shield in its shape.

He quickly lifted it up and offered it to the person in front of him. He took note of the obvious warrior that was present in her looks. The way she presented herself, the way she looked strong and capable. She was tall, and if Hiccup had to guess, she might be just as tall as he was or shorter by the tiniest of amounts. Her fiery-red hair made her stand out because Hiccup had never seen too many people with red hair in his life. Her green eyes instantly met his. And what he saw was a friendly look and an apologetic one as well.

"Sorry about that," Hiccup said, "I should've watched where I was going."

"It's quite alright," she smiled, graciously taking her shield. "I should have been more attentive to my environment."

"Is it the initiation that's got you thinking," he asked.

"It is actually," she nodded, "Though more about who I will be partnered with rather than nervousness."

A moment of pause.

"Apologies, I should introduce myself," Hiccup added, "Hiccup Haddock III."

He extended a hand out in his normal gesture of initiating a first conversation with someone. He held his breath in, wondering if she'd comment on his name. There was a high chance that she would react in a way that would indicate disgust, laughter, or some other negative response. Hiccup had seen them all.

So he was barely about to control his surprise when she simply grabbed his hand and returned continued her smile.

"My name is Pyrrha Nikos," the girl shook his hand, "I must say I have not heard a name like yours before."

Well so much for not mentioning his name. But then again, what did Hiccup have to complain about? She was friendly thus far.

"That's not surprising," he released her hand slowly, "I come from a place called Berk. It's located in the northern part of Vacuo. Our names are certainly unusual. Some might say my people have got horrible taste in names."

The girl chuckled a bit.

That's when Hiccup noticed someone nearby Pyrrha. And he instantly recognized who it was.

Weiss.

"Weiss," he called out.

She turned her attention towards him after a second. Her look indicated neutrality. That could be either good or bad for him. It was now or never.

"Look," he began, "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday night. I just didn't want things to get out of control. I didn't mean to be harsh on purpose."

"It's fine," she stated, "It was the ideal thing to do. It's nice to know that there are rational minds in our midst."

"Just the same though," Hiccup sighed, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't constantly antagonize Ruby and Yang."

"I won't," Weiss said, "As long as they don't get in my way."

Hiccup frowned, his message not really getting to Weiss. She clearly wasn't about to let up on her disposition towards the two sisters.

"Then at least try to keep your opinion to yourself," he asked.

She flashed him an annoyed glance, but he remained resolute. He wasn't the least intimidated by Weiss. There were far scarier things than the short girl.

"Anyway," he turned back to Pyrrha, "I suppose I should be going to the launching area. Good luck, Pyrrha and Weiss."

"You as well, Hiccup," the redhead nodded.

Hiccup gave a friendly wave before making his way out of the locker room and outside to where the initiates were suppose to go.

Unsurprisingly, the first people to be there were Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch. They spotted him and greeted him instantly.

"Mr. Haddock," Ozpin greeted, "You're early. We still have fifteen minutes before initiates need to start arriving."

"I'm use to early morning professor," Hiccup explained, "Back in my home, we were trained to be able to wake up at a moment's notice."

"It's alright," Ozpin replied, "I understand. Your transcript said as much alongside your many other accomplishments."

Hiccup looked down towards the grass at the compliment. He wasn't use to praise and he didn't think he'd ever get over that feeling.

"I'm no better or worse than anyone else here," Hiccup responded, "I'm just here to do some good for Remnant."

"I have no doubt, my boy," Ozpin spoke. "And your deference does you credit. But have confidence in yourself as well."

"I will try to bear that in mind, headmaster," Hiccup raised his head. "I aim to impress."

"That is more like it," Ozpin said with approval.

"Hey Hiccup!"

He turned just in time to see Neptune in what seemed to be a more casual outfit than anything. Rather unusual for the initiation, but Hiccup did admit that it somehow suited him. And to top it all off, he had a weapon attached to his back. He was really uncertain as to what he was looking at. A gun?

"You ready, Neptune," Hiccup turned to him.

"Never been more ready," Neptune cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on initiation."

"Same goes here," the voice of Sun came in, "Ready to kick butt."

So the three of them continued to talk to one another as more and more students poured out onto the launch pads. Some of the last to arrive were Jaune, Yang, and Ruby. Jaune looked really unsure and unstable while the sisters were more or less excited.

Yang winked her right eye at him and he nodded back at her . Ruby smiled at him. Jaune didn't do anything as the three of them took a position at the far end of the row. Now that Hiccup thought about it, the blonde-haired boy looked more than a bit unstable. He seemed scared.

 _Should I ask what's wrong,_ he questioned to himself.

But then Ozpin began to explain the rules of the initiation, and Hiccup stood straight and remained silent and attentive as the professor talked about.

"For years, you all have trained to be warriors," Ozpin said. "And today, your abilities and skills will be tested and evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

 _Emerald Forest,_ Hiccup repeated mentally.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"But first," Ms. Goodwitch came next, "I'm sure that many of you have heard rumors regarding how teams are formed. Today, we will make the rumors truths."

 _Here it comes,_ Ruby thought glumly, _Please be painless._

"All of you will be assigned to teams," Ms. Goodwitch paused. "Today."

Ruby whine slightly. She was hoping that they wouldn't do this for at least another day or two, maybe a week if she was lucky, but luck wasn't on her side it would seem.

"Your teammates will remain with you for your time here at Beacon. That means you must choose wisely who you will be teamed with."

Ruby began to bite chew on her lips as the news just kept coming. She wasn't really ready for this sort of thing yet. She didn't really want to get to know anyone else. She just didn't. But now she wasn't being given a choice.

But then again, this was training to become a huntress. A life that wasn't always one with easy choices, or many choices for that matter.

"And that brings us to our next point," Ozpin surveyed all of them. "After landing, the next person whom you make eye contact will will be your partner for the next four years."

Ruby froze for a moment, before squeaking out a very distressed response.

"What?!"

But regardless of how she felt, it wasn't going to make any difference as Professor Ozpin continued to talk about the initiation.

"After partnering up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. Opposition is certain, and any hesitation made could mean the difference between life and death."

That certainly went without saying, but hey, better to warn them all rather than leave them to their own devices.

 _Wait,_ Ruby backtracked, _That's exactly what they're doing._

"Grades will be assigned for your performance," Ozpin continued, "As well as the time it takes you to complete the initiation."

Leave it to the teachers to ruin the fun. Grades just made things all the more stressful. Ruby had to suppress a groan.

"When you have reached the end of the path, there will be a temple ruin waiting," his hand motioned to the far end of the tree line. "It will contain relics and each pair will take one relic. Once at the top of the cliff, the relic will be considered and factored into your grade along with your performance."

 _Northern forest. Temple. Relic. Cliff. Destroy things in the way,_ Ruby recited mentally. _Got it...I think._

"Before we begin," Ozpin said, "Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand to ask a question, but Ozpin soundly ignored him, either not noticing him or simply not caring to answer the boy's question. Ruby felt a twinge of sympathy for the swordsman. She looked to him and she gave him her best reassuring look, then returned her focus back to the initiation.

"If there's nothing else, take your positions."

Ruby got into position as instructed, but she also looked down the row to see how everyone else was positioned. Some of the positions were awkward, some were cool, some were just plain stupid in her opinion, Yang looking like she was getting ready for a brawl. Which was a likely possibility here.

The one that seemed the least interesting was Hiccup. He stood perfectly straight and looked ahead. It looked like he hadn't really gotten into any position that she could see.

Ruby could hear the sound of platforms launching students into the air. For the most part, they remained soundless as they did so. Then she saw Weiss launched, the heiress remaining confident in her posture. Then Hiccup could be seen, and he was the first to let out a loud whoop, which made Ruby watch as he took off into the sky.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Hiccup felt the wind against his face as he continued to soar up. Up here was his element, and he was enjoying every moment of it. The loud shout of joy was only further proof of that fact.

When he was certain that he was at his maximum speed, he reached to his boot and pulled on the strap. With that came out his glider. With his current velocity and his height, they were able to catch the wind and let him glide gracefully.

Keeping his arms out and his body straight, he simply watched the world below him as he soared by. At this rate, he'd be able to cover more distance than most of the other students. He'd have a real head start. And Hiccup always liked being one step ahead of the game.

Then he saw something whiz on the ground. He could distinctly hear the sounds of shots being fired.

Shotgun rounds.

 _Yang,_ Hiccup thought immediately. _Somehow I'm not surprised._

As he was now, another minute of travel would find Hiccup having travelled farther than most. He would only have to cover several more minutes of ground on the actual ground when he landed. And there seemed to be little activity at the moment. That would change soon as the kids made their way to the temple.

Sensing that now was a good time to land, Hiccup let his arms fall to his side and his body began to fall towards the ground. It would only be about ten seconds of free fall at most. Timing was critical here. He might not get another chance at this if he timed it wrong. This task might not be as easy if not for a trick up his sleeve.

Sensing the time to act was now, Hiccup grabbed a tree branch and swung himself around before latching onto another nearby branch, slowing down gradually as he came closer to the ground. As he let go of the final branch, he took a violent steps forward before coming to a stop.

Then there was a sense of calm and serenity that took over Hiccup's senses. It reminded him a lot of the forests back in Berk. Perhaps there would be time to explore later.

But then he was reminded of Professor Ozpin's words. There would be opposition. And by that he meant Grimm, the sort of enemy that Hiccup didn't have too much experience with firsthand, but knew of. He'd read about all of them in a textbook once. Now it was time to see if the words were of any use to him in actual live combat.

Or if this was another lesson of life ready to teach him the hard way. Again

So quickly Hiccup began to fold up his glider suit and quickly take stock of his gear before walking at brisk but calm pace. The first priority was to find a partner before he could think of traveling further north.

And speaking of directions, Hiccup removed the protector for his compass and began to move it around, asserting which way was which. If he had to make an estimate, most students remained along the general path with some deviations here and there. So with luck, he wouldn't have to travel too far in order to get to another student.

The rustling of bushes made Hiccup's footsteps stop. He carefully stepped forward, keeping his steps silent as he approached, his dominant left side out as he approached the sound.

And then his senses alerted him to danger. Close.

Hiccup flipped back in order to avoid a large dark form as it crashed into the spot where his body once occupied.

Hiccup gracefully landed, putting distance between himself and his opponent, which also gave him the chance to quickly assess what he was dealing with.

It was large, much larger than him. It stood on two legs and was pitch black with only white armor plates and spikes covering it. Red eyes met his green ones, and Hiccup could instantly detect a very empty and primal presence. Hiccup only took a moment to rack his brain to get the name of this particular creature.

It was an Ursa. The beast matched the description from the book he had read.

Conventional weapons would work just fine against this Grimm. A couple stabs in the stomach or even the neck would kill it or an arrow right in the eyes would blind it and make it easy prey.

As he prepared his weapons, Hiccup could sense something behind him. And his head turned to see another one behind him.

More ruffling forced him to look at his sides. Two more came from the bushes.

Four Ursa were closing in on him from all sides.

And there was no one around.

 _No one else around,_ Hiccup repeated in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup began to call upon the one thing that no one here really knew about him. He soundly ignored the Grimm as he continued to focus. And still he remained still as one tried to raise a paw and strike him.

Only for all of them to be pushed back by a black and lime-green aura surrounding the boy. And then Hiccup opened his eyes again, but they were no longer his normal color. Instead of his sclera being white and his iris being emerald-green, they were now lime green and black respectively.

The Grimm never got a chance to see this chance as the glow became brighter, forcing them to shield their eyes away from this blinding...Human?

And when the turned back, in the place where the Human once stood was no longer the same prey.

It wasn't even close to call their enemy prey. Quite the opposite now.

And they wouldn't have the chance to get a closer look at their enemy as an ear-shattering roar was emitted and they were forced to fend for their own lives.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

She moved through the forest quietly, but she did so with a happy expression on her face. Anyone normal might just as well say she was insane or that her handing had caused her to become disoriented.

But she was anything but theses things.

She was happy about a lot of things. The world was a big place. And the initiation was about becoming a defender of the world and saving lives. How could she not be happy about the chance to make a difference in the world of Remnant?

But she had to remain focused all the same. As much as she smiled, it wasn't simply for the sake of it.

Forests and nature weren't really the places she'd been around much. Mostly because her father never really let her out too much. He didn't even really let her go into the cities all that much either. He cared a great deal for her and didn't want harm to come to her, despite the fact that she was equipped to take care of herself. For her to be going to Beacon Academy was a really big step for her. And it had taken no small amount of convincing on her part as well as from others.

And she wasn't about to waste this chance.

Keeping her footsteps at a normal pace, she scanned the entirety of her surroundings, already knowing that Grimm were likely hiding somewhere within a few hundred meters away. She didn't brandish her weapons because it wasn't necessary yet. They weren't that close to her yet.

In fact, they seemed to be actually moving away from her location if she was right. That puzzled her for a moment.

And then her hearing detected something else: a roar that was unlike anything she'd heard before.

A roar likely meant the Grimm were converging on something, and that meant students were there.

And that meant a potential partner, and she let out a soft giggle of joy before taking off to find the one who was causing all of this noise.

She ducked over a downed tree, leaped over a large boulder, slid under a narrow opening, sidestepped a hole in the ground, and ran through brief fields of grass, all the while tracing the sound of the ever-closer roar that seemed to be more and more frequent.

And then she halted to take a closer look at something. It was a dead Ursa, and it looked to be killed recently, by something very hot, judging by the size of the hold it created in this one. She turned her gaze to another nearby. This one too was dead, but it looked like it was mauled by teeth and claws. Another way nearby, this one with its neck crushed and the head almost completely severed from its body.

Her eyes turned to see a pack of Beowolves running towards the northeast. She watched them as they disappeared behind some trees. And then that distinct roar again, louder, indicating that she was closer.

And now that she recalled the roar, her mind began to process it. It wasn't the sound of a Grimm at all. In fact, it sounded like a…

 _I actually don't recognize the sound,_ she thought in her head, _How strange. I must find out what caused this._

Then she recalled Professor Ozpin's words to not hesitate. Things that resided in the Emerald Forest were likely enemies. But here were clearly some dead Grimm, and as far as anyone knew, Grimm never killed one another. So what was it?

 _There's only one way to find out,_ she thought.

She took off in a full-on sprint. There was only a bit more distance to cover. She just needed to put some more speed into her sprint and she'd be there in no time.

She stopped as the sound of a struggle took control of her hearing. She turned her head to the right to take a closer look between two trees.

And then a Grimm came careening towards her.

She instinctively ducked and felt the breeze against her back as the projectile grazed her, crashing into a nearby boulder with a loud thud.

With the trees no longer obscuring her vision, what she saw before her was quite the spectacle.

The Grimm were engaged with something big, but she couldn't quite make out what the dark monsters were fighting. So she opted to stand there, completely ignored and watch the events unfold before her. Her eyes carefully watched as the Grimm were defeated one by one, with seeming ease.

In the span of about thirty seconds, there was only one large Ursa left, but even that one did not live long as a giant hole burned through it's body. And with a great sigh, the beast collapsed.

And in the center of it all stood…

 _A dragon_ , she breathed shockingly.

The dragons in the books she'd read were only creatures that looked no better than Grimm. They were evil, and they were dangerous beyond word. They knew nothing of mercy and killed without thought.

Then it's head turned to her, and she instantly was shaken out of her thoughts. She braced herself for an attack.

But it never came.

It didn't even advance forward. It simply narrowed its eyes and watched her like a hawk. The posture likely indicated self-defense, or something along those lines.

Whatever the case, she didn't dare to make any sudden moves. Maybe she could get out of this without a fight.

And then the strangest of things happened. It stopped looking menacing, and simply dropped any sign of aggression. It sat down, giving her a look with large eyes. And with this, she could now get a better look at the dragon.

She imagined a much larger creature, though this one was still far bigger than herself. But compared to some of the Grimm that lay around it, its size was somewhat on the smaller side. If she had to say one thing about this one, it looked like a large cat. The way its eyes looked at her with an innocent look. Its wings were folded against its back. and its tailed remained on the ground.

Her eyes were drawn to the tail instantly due to a clash of color. The dragon was entirely black. But it appeared that one of its fins were colored red. Upon closer inspection, she found out why the fin was colored differently.

It was a prosthetic fin.

 _Someone must've helped it,_ Penny thought, _It must not be able to fly otherwise. Poor thing._

She returned her eyes back to the dragon, who looked at her still with an innocent inquisitive stare.

If she was being completely honest, it was beyond cute.

Deciding to take possibly a huge risk, she stepped forward carefully. All the while she kept her footsteps light and obvious so it could see her. And she kept her eyes on those oh-so-Human-like eyes. It continued to watch her, but maintaining eye contact.

She had taken six steps forward, and when she went to take a seventh, it growled at her. She continued to take the step forward, but it still growled. Thinking quickly, she retreated a step, and it reverted back to a normal look. She took a step back and got another growl. Realizing that the dragon didn't want her to move from the spot, she remained where she was.

 _Well now what do I do?_

The black cat-like dragon regarded her carefully before looking around at the Grimm still scattered around it. It then set out to clearing a space around her. She didn't dare move for fear of angering the creature. Despite it being smaller than some of the Grimm, it possessed a lot of strength and moved all of the dead things out of the way. When all was said and done. There was clear space with only a few traces of blood here and there.

The dragon once more turned to her, and then to a rock jutting from the ground. It's head motioned to the rock. And the the dragon sat on its hind legs.

Getting the hint immediately, she walked over to the rock slowly and sat down carefully. Any sudden movements could be interpreted as hostile, and she didn't want to fight this one if she didn't have to.

Now they stared at each other. And she was really unsure what to do.

So she tried the only thing she could think of.

"Hi," she said.

Naturally, he could not say anything back to her, but he smiled back at her in response. At least she guessed it was a he.

And he had no teeth. It was all gums.

 _Toothless,_ she thought curiously

"I thought that all dragons had teeth," she vocalized.

The response was for teeth to suddenly appear from somewhere hidden in his gums. And there were a lot of them, all razor-sharp. She jumped back a bit at this.

"Okay," she asserted, "But that still does not change the fact that you were toothless."

It shot her an unusual face.

 _This dragon is very intelligent. I must tread carefully on what I say._

"So what are you doing here," she asked him.

The dragon looked at the ground, its eyes lost in thought, and she watched carefully. It then pointed its nose towards a clearing. It then got up and began to move away from her. When she didn't move from her seated position, he looked back and waited.

Getting the hint, she quickly followed the dragon. It was only when she took the lead did it follow her. He was likely trying to be certain that she wouldn't do anything to him while he wasn't aware.

Their travel took exactly eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds. And the trees and bushes began to become scarce as the forest gave way to a large open field. The only thing worth of note was what appeared to be a ruin. This must be the temple that Headmaster Ozpin told them about.

"How did you find this," she asked subconsciously as she turned to face her new companion.

The response was what she interpreted to be a shrug, or the closest thing to a clueless gesture.

 _Lucky guess,_ she mused, _Or perhaps he spotted it during his tussle._

It was then that she noticed their close proximity, and now that she was very close, she could measure just how large he was in comparison to herself. But he made no threatening moves towards her, nor she do the same. The dragon breathed slowly but more audibly than a normal person would.

And then she a random question popped into her mind.

 _What if I touched him? Can I even touch him? What if he tries to bite me? What if he attacks me?_

The dragon hadn't moved away from her, nor had his mood changed either. It was like he was expecting something from her. It was like he wanted her to do something.

 _Well, it's worth a shot. And if this does go all wrong, I can fight back. It would be a shame though._

Deciding to shove down her reservations, she began to reach a hand out. She was met with a growl. Her hand slowly backed away. He quieted instantly. She tried again, only to get the same response. It seemed that it still didn't trust her that much. Or that this wasn't what he was looking for.

 _How can I get him to trust me? What must I do?_

Her mind lingered on the word trust. That word meant to put faith of belief into someone. It was the first step towards a relationship. To trust someone else was to believe that they would not ever do anything to harm friends intentionally. To initiate trust, one party had to be willing to take the first leap of faith and hope that nothing went wrong.

And so far, the dragon hadn't done anything to indicate it would harm her. And even if she couldn't discern any motives or thoughts, that would have to be enough. She had to show that she trusted him.

So with that in mind, she closed her eyes, and turned away.

And she waited.

Nothing happened, and she was grateful for still having a hand, but she could not possibly anticipate what was to come next.

So it was with shock that she felt something warm against her skin. She hesitated, then opened her eyes and turned her head back.

His eyes were closed and his snout remained on her hand. He looked calm and peaceful. Then he lifted his head from her palm. His eyes opened.

And she instantly noticed the change in demeanor. No longer did his eyes watch her like a hawk, but with the softness and caring of a friend. She instantly met his eyes.

Then he backed away from her. She gazed in wonder at what he was doing. She was about to ask but it was then that the dragon was surrounded in a black and green glow.

 _Aura,_ she instantly recognized. _He has a soul._

The dragon closed his eyes. And the glow became brighter. She put her right arm up to shield herself from the intense glare. The instant the glow died down, she looked to see the results.

And she was even more surprised; where once a dragon stood, there was now a boy. Human. His hair was a messy brown and far from neat. He wore black armor on his upper body and shoulders. A shield adorned his back and two weapons were strapped to his legs. His left leg ended in a prosthetic.

He opened his eyes. And she observed with a critical look. Not the same eyes as the dragon, but still the same look as the dragon.

 _His semblance is a dragon form,_ her eyes widened when the pieces came together. _I was not interacting with a dragon, but a person._

"Who are you," she stepped forward, still mesmerized.

"My name is Hiccup," he responded in a soft voice, "And I guess that I'm your partner now, friend."

She regarded him with many questions. Why was he named after an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm? Where did he come from?

However, out of all the things that stuck out in her mind, one thing that was at the foremost of her mind. One word which grabbed her attention the most.

Friend.

He had called her friend.

"What did you call me," she asked abruptly.

"Friend," he said without hesitation, "Because like it or not, you are my friend now."

He held out a hand to her.

And her expression lit up.

And she instead grabbed him into a hug.

A friend. He had called her a friend, and he actually had meant it.

"Sensational," she cried out. "Thank you for being my friend."

"You're welcome," he managed, his arms hugging her back slowly. "Though I would like to know your name."

She removed herself from his form.

"Penny. My name is Penny."

 **Long chapter. Not really what I expected at all. I hope I didn't drag it along too much, but once I got to writing the last section, I couldn't stop.**

 **So I partnered Hiccup with Penny. Did anything actually know who it was before I explicitly said so? If so, give yourselves a pat on the back because you read and caught the hints. I gave a few here and there. I was satisfied with how it came out. But the question I want answered is are you guys satisfied with this chapter came out?**

 **If you approved of this chapter, let me know with a review. If you hated this chapter, then tell me why. If you have feedback, then let me know as well.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and remember, trust is the most sacred part of any relationship. If there is no trust, there is no relationship.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Chapter 4: Chess on the Battlefield

Chapter 4: Chess on the Battlefield

 **Emerald Forest**

Sun had coincidently met with Neptune not far from the landing. And they hadn't encountered any Grimm yet even stranger so.

But they weren't complaining. It had been a walk of relative quiet with the occasional sounds of wild animals and Neptune caught a few gunfire blasts here and there. No doubt the other kids were already meeting resistance along the way.

"I'm a bit worried," Neptune vocalized.

Sun turned to his partner.

"What about," the Faunus asked, "It's not like we've got much to be concerned about right now. We'll deal with it as we go."

"Maybe I'm overthinking this," Neptune looked around, "But we haven't been encountering Grimm anywhere. Everyone else has though."

"You don't know that," Sun shook his head, "We haven't even seen anyone else. We just need to get to the temple. Ozpin didn't say we have to face Grimm. We just have to kill them if they get in the way."

"...fair point," Neptune conceded, "Well, no time like the present."

The next few minutes of the journey were spent in relative silence. Each of them were staying alert to any potential dangers. Normally, the two would go into small chat seeing as they were actual buddies for some time. They knew practically everything about each other. They might as well be brothers at this point.

And speaking of friends, they had a new friend: Hiccup. He seemed a lot like Neptune to Sun in terms of being a nerd, but with an attitude and sarcasm to make it better. And judging by the way that Hiccup dressed and looked, he must come from Vacuo somewhere. The wild hair was one giveaway. Another was his prosthetic that he didn't bother to hide. The third was his clothing. While not quite as simplistic as his own, it was nowhere near as complicated as Neptune's more "refined" tastes. And when he'd seen Hiccup before launch, he wore battle armor. That was becoming more and more of a rarity to see in fighters. Hiccup had to have come from a place where combat was sort of a cultural thing.

While Sun saw the more wild side to Hiccup, Neptune saw an intelligent person disguised as a fighter. He didn't doubt that Hiccup could fight, otherwise he wouldn't be a Beacon. However, Neptune had noted the drawings in that little notebook he kept. Hiccup must keep ideas and thoughts. That was something that people with ideas liked to do. Although Neptune used tech devices more for this than a notebook. Still, old-fashioned wasn't all that bad. Shields and swords were so old-school and yet many still made heavy use of the two traditional weapons.

In short: Hiccup Haddock was hip in both of their books. And they wondered who he'd get partnered with.

The sound of something crashing caused both of them to glance at each other before quickly looking around at their surroundings. Nothing around but themselves, and yet it was somewhere in earshot.

"How close do you think," Neptune asked.

"Has to be at least several hundred feet that way," Sun pointed to the northeast, "Can't tell what it is though."

"Should we go see," Neptune inquired, "Maybe we could find the others."

"Well, if we're all going to the same place," Sun reasoned, "I don't think we need to go looking for them."

"In that case, let's get going"

With a nod, Sun took off and Neptune quickened his pace in order to keep his partner within sight. Not a difficult task, but with Sun, he could disappear into the forest rather quickly. He'd grown up in the wilderness more than Neptune had, so this was more his playground.

Another sound, but this time, they both could hear it clearly. It was a roar, but not a Grimm roar. It was much too distinct. Both of them had fought Grimm before.

"What do you think," Sun asked, "New type of Grimm?"

"I don't think it matters," Neptune shrugged, "Like you said, we just need to get to the temple and get the artifact."

"Sure," Sun agreed, "But that was closer, like I think if we ran in the direction of...whatever made that roar, we'd see it in about three minutes."

"Look, Sun, does it matter or not?"

"That depends on if we hear it again. If we do, and it's close, we should worry."

"How far do you think we need to go to get the relics, anyway?"

"Can't be far now. Just-"

A hissing sound immediately prompted the two of them to draw their weapons. Neither lost their cool as they searched for the source. They didn't have to wait long before it came to them.

The Grimm that approached them was a King Taijitu. Only one body though, but there were two black heads sprouting from somewhere in the middle of its length. But both heads regarded their enemy with empty red eyes. There was no white head strangely.

"Two heads," Sun twirled his gun-chucks, "Twice the fun. But where's the white head?"

"I'm thinking twice the smarts," Neptune aimed his weapon. "And I don't know where the white head is, or if it ever has one."

Without waiting for the two boys, the massive serpent lashed its tail out, whipping it surprisingly fast. Both of them dove for the cover of the trees. Neptune fired two shots at the eye of the left head, which earned a pained hiss. The other head lunged forward, trying to strike at the blue-haired boy. Instead, a glowing form of Sun struck out at the side of the head. Then another followed up with another attack. The head reeled back and raised itself up to try and avoid the attacks.

Sun on the far side glowed as he worked his clones to try and give Neptune room to maneuver and counter-attack. The clones hopped up into the trees, and constantly moving. One head was looking into the leaves trying to find the clones while the other tried to sniff out Sun and Neptune. Seeing his chance, Neptune took aim and fired again at the lower head. Two shots into its nose made the snake bare its large fangs and attempt to snatch him.

Neptune rolled away from his now destroyed cover. Glancing over to Sun, he could see his friend working to distract the other head.

"Sun," Neptune called out, "We need to get out of here. Too little space to fight."

"Working on it, nerd," Sun gritted.

Without the proper footing up in the trees, Sun's clones wouldn't be able to get too many hits before the Taijitu found him. He was practically sitting ducks. So he manipulated his clones to jump onto the heads and detonate, causing the Taijitu to move back as it struggled to see again.

"Go," Sun grabbed Neptune and the two of them took off.

Ignoring everything but the two-headed Grimm pursuing them, the duo expertly ducked and weaved and turned and jumped and spun past every obstacle that got in the way. But once they got onto more open ground, they'd be able to get some hits in. As much as the forest provided them with cover, it was also a bit of a struggle in terms of actually getting hits in.

Neptune turned around to fire some more rounds behind him with Sun using his gun-chucks. Predictably, they weren't going to kill outright, but as long as they aimed at the eyes, and the mouths and the noses, then it would be just a little more sting for the oversized snake to feel.

"And I thought the temple was close," Neptune shouted, "I don't even see any clearings!"

"Just worry about staying alive first," Sun retaliated, "Then worry about the temple."

In their haste to speak to each other, the two of them failed to notice the Taijitu catching up to them and before the two of them knew it, they'd been both whacked by its tail, sending the two of them into a boulder. Both of them collided into each other before hitting the boulder together.

"Got an idea, intellectual," Sun emphasized the last word.

Neptune looked to see the Grimm closing in. And that's when his eyes turned to look up. One of the trees looked like it was going to collapse.

"Um," Neptune got up. "Are you going to be mad if I say no?"

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Hiccup and Penny carefully walked down the hillside to the temple. Both of them kept an eye and ear out for trouble. They were the only students in sight. The run before them looked to be there for quite some time. Cracked stones, toppled pillars, and general critical structural loss. But it was the only building in sight.

"So Hiccup," Penny asked, "Where are you from?"

"I come from a place called Berk," he answered, "It's in Vacuo."

"Vacuo," Penny, "I haven't been there before. I hear it's quite the place."

Hiccup chuckled. "It can be. Although I would say that it's more a place for serious fighters than for intellectuals and people with brain smarts."

"I see," the orange-haired girl spoke, "I am from the Kingdom of Atlas."

"I hear that place is quite the technological marvel," Hiccup commented, "I always wanted to go there. Technology has always been my thing."

"Perhaps I can take you there some time," Penny suggested, "If it pleases you."

"Maybe," Hiccup turned to her, "We'll see. For now, being here is an honor."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Penny agreed cheerfully.

Both of them turned their heads to see that the temple wasn't quite as disorganized as it appeared from a distance. Multiple short pillars were all aligned in a semi-circle. Only a few pieces had been taken already. Both bishop pieces were gone. All the other pieces remained untouched.

"These must be what we want," Hiccup voiced. "But which one should we take?"

Penny was meanwhile occupied with observing each and every piece with a seemingly unnatural observative eye. Hiccup too looked at every piece, but not so much physically as he did in terms of their meaning to him.

Chess was a game of strategy. Every piece had a part to play. Each was unique and suited a certain purpose. And it was for this reason that Hiccup saw fit to choose a piece that represented what he believed to be fitting for both of them.

Although having only known Penny for a very short time, what he could see about her was that she was a very observative individual, not quick to violence, but also not intimidated easily. But she seemed also very inquisitive as well, if her looking at each piece was any indication. She was also very lively but too much so. She exercised restraint when needed when he tested her in his dragon form.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, Penny," Hiccup called out.

"I do not know," Penny responded, turning back to him, "This is a rather unusual situation for me. I've never been given many chances to make my own choices in my life. And now this one will be the first of many important choices that I make."

Hiccup's mind instantly began to work the gears as he thought about what she said. A life without too much freedom?

"And how do you feel about freedom," Hiccup decided to ask. "What does it mean to you to have more freedom?"

"It's...different," she looked at the ground. "It is quite exciting, but I also know it requires much responsibility."

"All true," Hiccup nodded, "But consider this: the possibilities are more than you had before. You can move where you could not before."

Hiccup turned to a pawn that stood on one of the pillars. Penny stood beside him and looked to him as he stared at the black pawn.

"This pawn," he pointed to the piece, "If I'm guessing this right, then you were once very limited in your movements. You could only move forward and to the sides when removing another piece from the field."

"That would be an accurate thing to say," Penny nodded slowly.

"But now," Hiccup grabbed her hand, "You are here at Beacon, and you've been given more than you've ever had to do. And now you have choices."

Hiccup guided his partner to the black queen piece.

"You are now more like a queen," Hiccup explained, "Not completely in control of your life, but possessing enough to be able to be independent."

Penny nodded in understanding. She had never considered it that way before. And now she had added insightful and wise to Hiccup's description.

"Yes," she agreed, "I do believe I see your point. But now I have a question myself, Hiccup."

His head turned to her, and she made eye contact with him. With his attention folly on her, Penny spoke again.

"Does the shift from a pawn to a queen accurately describe you," she asked. "Do you see yourself as this way too? Perhaps you too were once bound by something?"

Hiccup's eyes flickered down to the ground for a moment, but very quickly before he looked to Penny again. A moment of hesitation, but one that she noticed.

"In a way, yes," he sighed, "But in a way, there is more."

"More," she stepped closer.

"I grew up with little expected from myself," Hiccup began, "I grew up as one of the weakest in my village. Many would say that I wasn't destined to be anything but useless. So I was name Hiccup the Useless."

Her eyes widened in shock. How could anyone say something so untrue and so unjust to her partner? How could the people he lived with be so uncaring?

"I'm sorry," she said immediately, "I had no idea."

"I was fifteen when all of that changed," he bit his lips. "For over seven generations, the island of Berk has suffered from a threat called the Red Death. A dragon of immense power and intelligence and size. No warrior can hope to defeat it alone. Even entire armies are all for naught."

His expression turned to one of hurt and pain. She wouldn't pretend that she understood him, but she would listen, because as she had recalled, that was the best thing to do right now.

"Only a dragon could ever hope to defeat the Red Death. And even with dragon semblances, none had defeated it. Until me."

Penny tiled her head in wonder.

"My semblance is the form of a Night Fury, the rarest breed of dragon. It is semblance that is forgotten. So naturally when I showed off, no one believed me. And when I pushed the issue, my dad, he…"

Hiccup looked to be on the verge of a emotional breakdown. Penny couldn't let this happen to her friend, her partner, so she put a finger to his lips. He stopped and looked to her, his eyes watery.

"Don't do this to yourself," she said, "If you don't want to talk about it yet, I won't force you to tell me. Whatever happened then, you are here now. You have control."

The words had an effect as he tried to calm himself down. She put her hand back at her side and watched him carefully in case she needed to do anything further. He took a minute to rein himself in, wiping his eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

"Sorry," he managed finally, "The point is...I'm better than what I was. I have my parent's love and my village's approval. And now I'm here at Beacon. I can now choose my own fate. You're right."

"Then shall we take the queen," Penny pointed to the black chess piece.

His gaze remained on the piece.

"Yes," he said, "If you want, grab it."

So without any further conversation, Penny lifted a hand and carefully grabbed the black queen piece. She might not have his full answer to her question, but she knew enough.

"Hey, it's Hiccup," a voice called out.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Yang and Blake had reached the temple and to find that Hiccup and some other girl were already there. Without thinking much, Yang immediately blasted her way to Hiccup with Blake in tow.

"When did you guys get here," the blonde asked. "And who's she?"

"We've been here for about a few minutes," Hiccup said, "And this is Penny. Penny, this is Yang and Blake."

"Salutations, fellow student," she greeted warmly, "It is a pleasure to meet you both."

"Cool," Yang beamed, "So this is it? The temple?"

"Yeah," Hiccup gestured to the other pieces, "Pick one."

Blake had already gone to inspect the pieces. Yang too took to looking at them. Noticing that there were more than several pieces missing, she turned to Hiccup.

"Someone else had to be here," Yang reported.

"That would be a reasonable assumption," Penny smiled. "But we have not seen anyone else around here."

"Huh," Yang turned back to a white knight. "What do you think Blake?"

"I guess we just grab one, like Hiccup said," the raven-haired girl shrugged.

"Okay," Yang grabbed a piece, "Ponies and horses are awesome anyway."

Blake simply nodded to her partner's choice. With nothing else to do at the moment, the two of them went to join Hiccup and Penny as they looked around.

"Whatcha guys lookin' for," the blonde put a hand on her hips.

"The others," Hiccup explained, "But I haven't seen any of them yet. And I didn't see anyone on my way here."

"What about you, Penny," Yang turned to the shorter girl.

"I saw no one else but Hiccup," she sighed, "Most unfortunate."

So nobody had seen Ruby. That was a bit of a bummer. Although the elder sister knew better than to question if her sister was okay. she did regardless. Ruby was the only family she had here. She needed to be okay.

"Is that a Nevermore," Hiccup pointed up.

Yang's gaze turned to see that it was indeed as Hiccup had stated: A Nevermore was flying in the air, but it seemed strange the way it flew. It was like it was trying to shake something off of itself. And it looked like something was on the bottom.

As she squinted to try and see better, she could distinctly hear a scream coming out. And it took only a few seconds to register who it was. It was Ruby.

"Is that...Ruby falling from the sky," Hiccup looked up with Yang.

"Um," Yang scratched the back of her head, "I guess."

"Should someone help her," Hiccup gestured to the falling girl.

Before Yang could respond to Hiccup's question, Penny had already taken it upon herself to do something. Yang watched as blades seemed to just appear from the girl's back. Before the brawler could count them all, they launched into the sky. Each of the blades formed into a circle of energy that formed what everyone saw to be a sort of energy net. Yang watched with anxiety as her little sister came down and hit the energy, and watched as the impact didn't seem to harm her sister.

The blades lowered to the ground with its catch, and as soon as Ruby touched the ground, the energy disappears and the blades returned to Penny. Soon, there was not a sword out of sight.

"That was too close," Ruby jumped up, "I was like OH MY GOD I'M GONNA GET SQUASHED BY THE GROUND. And then I see this green glowy thing and I get caught and I'm like YES I'M GONNA LIVE. But I felt like a fish in a net, so I'm all like THIS IS EMBARRASSING!"

"Ruby," Yang rushed over to embrace her, "What was that?! Do you know how scared I was?!"

"My idea," Ruby stated simply, " And besides, I'm fine. But I do wonder, where is-"

Before anyone else could respond, there was the sound of shouting. Everyone turned to see two boys running from the forest at a high speed, like they were trying to run away from something.

"What are they running from," Hiccup voiced.

"Don't know," Ruby answered, "I see only a Nevermore"

"Then let's go find out," Hiccup began to run, "Come on Penny."

"You got it, friend Hiccup" Penny ran with him.

"I guess we should get involved too," Yang shrugged.

"Sure," Blake equipped her blade.

"Count me in too," Ruby unsheathed her weapon.

It didn't take long for the group to intercept who Yang recognized as the guys hanging out with Hiccup yesterday. She didn't know their names yet. She'd have to ask them once they got out of here.

"Neptune," Hiccup called out, "Sun. What's going on?"

"Ask the genius here," Sun stopped to them, "We've been running to get to better ground."

"From what," Blake said next.

"How long have you guys been running," Ruby tilted her head.

"Long enough," Neptune took a breath, "This thing won't take a hint. It's half blind and it won't go away."

It was at that moment that everyone could see two black heads of a King Taijitu. And as Neptune pointed out, it probably was half-blind, it seemed to be struggling to move in a very smooth fashion.

"Any suggestions," Hiccup turned to the others.

"It may still be able to track, even blind," Blake spoke, "But better that it can't see us. It'll go down easier."

"I can get in close," Hiccup nodded. "Punch a hole."

"I'll go too," Yang cheered, "My fists are ready for some action."

"I can provide cover fire," Penny chimed in. " Just say the word, friend Hiccup."

"Need a sniper," Ruby cranked her sniper mode. "I'm your girl."

"I can provide distractions," Blake said. "My shadows clones should suffice."

"Same here," Sun jumped in. "I can work my clones for annoying hits."

"Got it," Hiccup turned back.

The Grimm seemed to have finally picked up on their scent and made a rough beeline towards the group.

"Separate," Hiccup said. "As long as we keep it unfocused, it'll be an easy fight."

"Got it," Yang brought her fists to bear.

Without waiting for a go, she took off. The King Taijitu raised its tail and struck. She evaded to the right and fired a couple of shots from her gauntlets. The shots struck its skin, but didn't seem to affect it too much. It opened its mouth to try and impale the girl with its large fangs. Then shots rang out as Ruby took shots at the exposed sport. Several clones of gold color and black color began to surround the Grimm.

Yang pushed forward, trying to focus on what she was doing and not what the others were doing. She once again struck out with her strength and tried to move forward. The Taijitu was forced back but still remained stubborn and lashed out again, this time striking at her from her side.

Or at least that's what she thought was going to happen.

It seemed that the head had already predicted how she would react and moved to quickly surround her with its body. But it never got the chance to move in as something purple flew into its mouth and exploded. The grip on Yang slackened and she forced herself back.

"You okay," Hiccup asked.

"Peachy," she reloaded her weapons. "Did you do that?"

"Plasma," he said.

Yang noticed briefly that while he held a strange glowing blade in his left hand, his right hand glowed with a purple glow.

"You can tell me about it later," Yang commented.

Hiccup cast another plasma blast, as he called it, and it struck again, at the Grimm. The Grimm head reeled back shaking back and forth, like it was trying to cool off its head.

"Hiccup, Yang, you might wish to take cover," Penny called out.

Hiccup didn't know what his partner was trying to do, but he grabbed his shield with his free hand and took Yang down with him as they hit the ground. He raised his shields to cover them both.

They didn't see it, but Penny's careful eyes had noticed a weak point made by Hiccup's blasts. The plating had been broken and now all that was left was soft skin and tissue. All of Penny's blades returned to her; she took aim, charged, and fired, her shot hitting the left head dead-on. The blast was enough to burn a hole clean through the head. And it gave way with a sigh.

The other head was occupied with black and yellow clones and Neptune's gunfire. It was clear that they were wearing down the heads protective armoring and that left room for Ruby to take quick shots at the exposed areas.

Penny had taken the opportunity with the remaining head distracted and went to help Hiccup and Yang.

"Are you two okay," she shouted over the sounds of battle.

"I'm fine," Yang got up.

She held a hand to Hiccup who took it and he got up as well.

"Minor scratches," he shrugged. "No big deal."

With their distraction, they failed to notice the tail incoming at a high speed. Catching it only moments before it was going to hit, Hiccup tried to push them both out of the way. He managed to only succeed in getting Yang out of the way. Him and Penny were hit which caused them to be flung across the field.

"Penny," Hiccup groaned slightly, "You okay?"

"I am still okay," Penny leaped to her feet. "I am more concerned about you, Hiccup."

"I'm fine," he said. "My dragon form gives me augmented endurance."

"I see," she said. "Let us join our fellow students."

As it turned out, they didn't need to, as the head from the the other King Taijitu was dead, and already the whole body was ceasing to move.

"Then again," Penny did a double take, "Perhaps we should continue to move."

"I'm worried that I haven't seen the others," Ruby ran up to them. "I haven't seen Jaune, or that hyperactive girl and the guy with a pink streak."

Then came the sound of a really out and extremely excited whoop. All heads turned in confusion to see what appeared to be an Ursa galloping in a rather awkward fashion towards them. And for a moment, everyone readied their weapons.

"Hold a moment," Penny called out.

"It's a Grimm," Ruby deadpanned. "We kill Grimm."

"No, wait," Hiccup then said, "This is different."

Weapons were lowered, but still ready to strike if the situation turned bad. The Ursa continued towards them, and then a loud bang sounded throughout the area. And the Ursa collapsed.

And on top of it was a girl.

"Creative," Hiccup whistled. "Riding a Grimm."

"NORA," a distinctly male voice called out.

"Aw," the girl called Nora whined. "It's not working. And her I thought I had a pet."

Another person came sprinting towards them. he was dressed in a green coat with white pants. His hair was black with a pink streak.

"Will you stop," he gasped, "I can't...keep...up...like that!."

"Sorry, Ren," she apologized.

Her head turned to see a group staring at her.

"Hello all," she greeted, "My name is Nora. This is my friend Ren. We're partners, but we've been together ever since childhood. Well not together-together. People always get the wrong idea when they see us. I don't know why. I mean, they don't know us like we know ourselves. I mean as you can tell…"

"Is it just me," Yang whispered, "Or is this not making much sense?"

"I stopped listening after their names," Hiccup said, "Believe me, I'm completely lost here."

"Well," Ruby shrugged. "At least she's not Weiss."

"Weiss," Penny asked.

"And there she is now," Neptune pointed out.

A scream from above alerted everyone to see a white form falling from the skies. There was no doubt in anyone's mind who it was. The only question now was…

"So who's going to help her," Sun asked.

"Not me," Yang shook her head adamantly.

Blake said nothing, nor gave any indication as to whether she wanted to assist or not.

Neptune looked a ashamed, seeing as he wasn't really equipped to deal with this.

Sun gave a rather nonchalant look.

Ruby looked like she was unsure about how to go about this

Ren looked impassively at the sky with Nora looking at him for an answer.

Penny looked around, until her gaze fell to Hiccup.

Hiccup sighed in defeat.

"Since no one wants to volunteer," Hiccup stepped forward, "I'll save Weiss."

"Hiccup," Penny stepped forward. "Are you certain?"

"I'll be fine, Penny," he turned to her. "Don't worry about me."

"If you're going to do something," Ruby pointed out, "Make it quick."

"I'll be fine," Hiccup assured his partner.

"But what if they don't take your dragon form well," she demanded in a whisper.

"They won't," he said softly, "Because I believe in them. You should as well."

She still remained adamant about this. Hiccup didn't know why, but he had a feeling there was more to this than she cared to let on. But right now, there wasn't any time to argue.

He put a hand to Penny's shoulder. "Penny, if you don't trust them, trust me."

Her eyes met his, and she couldn't say any more to convince him. And she reminded herself that she should trust him. She called him a friend, after all.

She nodded lightly.

"Sorry to break up the chat," Neptune interrupted, "But Weiss is almost here."

"I got it," Hiccup moved forward.

He began to glow and morphed quickly into the black dragon. All eyes widened in surprise as he took to the skies.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Weiss had no idea what in the world she was thinking. Why had she ever entertained the idea to allow Ruby to be her partner? The only thing that had resulted from pairing with that insufferable girl was stupidness, recklessness, and craziness just to name a few.

The worst idea yet was to use this Nevermore to fly their way to the temple. Weiss didn't know what came over her when she agreed to this. Maybe it was simply to shut Ruby up, or maybe she was eager to find an easy solution.

And now she was falling to her death. And now she'd failed everyone. And worse yet, she could only do one thing: scream. She was a pitiful excuse for a Schnee.

What she couldn't anticipate was the fact that she felt something against her. She stopped closing her eyes for a second to see she was no longer falling, but flying. When she looked down, she was instantly afraid. Some creature had apparently took it upon itself to save her. It was black.

That confused immensely. Grimm didn't save people. Ever.

So what to do?

As they descended rather sharply, she instinctively held on for dear life. She shut her eyes and waited for it to be over.

Then the wind stopped and she felt herself not moving. She opened one eye to see she was on the ground, still sitting on the beast. And in front of her stood a giant crowd.

Quickly not wanting to make a further fool of herself, she stepped down and quickly moved away. After another look, Weiss realized what it was: a dragon. The creatures from the legends.

"Get away from me beast," she drew her rapier.

"Weiss," Ruby called out, "Put down the rapier."

"And why should I listen to you," Weiss hissed. " I almost died."

All hands pointed to the dragon and she looked to see that it was glowing. That meant it had aura. And that meant it wasn't a Grimm. Still, she held her weapon loosely. She wasn't about to take any further chances. But instead of an attack, it shifted and grew smaller. When the process was complete, there stood a person Weiss recognized immediately.

Hiccup.

"Sorry about that, Weiss," he brushed himself off, "I hope no one here is too scared of me now."

"Are you kidding, Hiccup" Yang shouted, "That was freaking awesome."

"Awesome is putting it mildly," Sun whistled. "I'm sort of jealous."

"It's cool," Neptune tried to play it off and failing.

"That was amazing," Ruby cheered, "You were all like WHOOSH and you saved Weiss like SHOOOM. And you flew like PEEW."

"It certainly is a very interesting semblance," Blake complimented. "Very unique."

"Very useful too," Ren said, "Being able to fly."

"That's all you're thinking about, Ren," Nora exclaimed, "He's a dragon. And not just any dragon, but the most adorable thing ever. Can we pet you?"

"I suppose it's a game changer," Weiss managed.

"Um," Hiccup looked to all of them. "You guys are taking this surprisingly well."

"Why wouldn't we," Ruby questioned. "It's so cool. And unique. I've never heard of a semblance like this."

"Well," Hiccup scratched the back of his head. "You would be the first to think of my abilities as cool. Many have called me...bad things."

"They shouldn't," Blake said. "You're using a gift to help others."

"That's the hope," Hiccup nodded to her. "So is that everyone?"

"I do not see Pyrrha here," Weiss looked around.

"Or Jaune," Ruby added.

Without warning, a hurling object came flying at them. Hiccup raised his shield instinctively, waiting for the perfect time to deflect. With the object within a dozen feet of him, Hiccup swatted it back with his shield, causing the object to cry out in pain before coming to a landing not far away.

"Jaune," Hiccup jogged over. "What was that?"

"Bad Grimm back there," Jaune coughed. "And that hurt."

"Come on," Hiccup forced the blonde to his feet. "Where's your partner?"

"Pyrrha's behind me. Somewhere. "Jaune held his arm.

As if on cue, a Death Stalker came crashing through several trees. And there was Pyrrha, trying to outmaneuver and outrun it.

"Well," Hiccup sighed, "These Grimm are annoying. It's official."

"Dude," Sun responded. "We know what we signed up for."

"We don't have time for this," Blake broke in. "We need to get moving."

"Maybe Weiss can freeze it," Ruby suggested.

Weiss felt a sudden pressure as she noticed many pairs of eyes now looking at her.

"If I can get a clear shot," Weiss stated, "It should be easy."

"Then we surround it," Hiccup drew his weapon again. "Buy Weiss enough time to freeze it as much as she can."

"For once," Weiss raised her weapon, "I'm hearing an actual logical plan."

Everyone shot her a stare before taking their out their weapons.

They all charged forward. Weiss remained back, setting up her glyphs and beginning to channel. The channeling would take time, especially if she was going to freeze something this big. She wasn't even sure if she could. She didn't doubt her abilities, but she hadn't needed to freeze something on this scale. Hiccup was right to assume that she needed time.

Keeping her mind focused, she began to summon her willpower into her semblance as well as setting Myrtenaster to the appropriate setting. This was a bit of a gamble in her mind as well. While she appreciated being given a part to play, Weiss knew that failing now might be reflected heavily in the grading process. And that was unacceptable.

So she focused more of her semblance, pushing herself more. She gritted her teeth in concentration.

"Weiss," Hiccup shouted out. "Progress?"

"I'm working on it," Weiss snapped.

"Well can you work faster," Ruby called out. "Not to be pushy, but fighting Grimm isn't the main objective."

At least Ruby was right about one thing. Their mission was to grab an artifact and escape from here.

She refocused back on her semblance. She had now a considerable amount of her energy channeled into the glyph. That combined with her weapon might just be enough.

 _Let's hope this works,_ she pleaded.

"Get back," she ordered.

Everyone heard her and they all moved as she unleashed all of the pent-up semblance energy from her glyph. The Death Stalker had little time to react as it made contact.

A cloud of ice chalked into the air, making it difficult to see the results. Weiss held her breath and watched as her results began to unfold.

And she let out a sigh as she could see a mostly-frozen Grimm stuck in a block of ice. Only the tail remained unfrozen, but she did what she needed to do.

Everyone quickly regrouped and looked to each other to see if any injuries had been sustained. Nobody reported any serious injuries. Even Jaune seemed to be okay after being battered by Hiccup.

"Alright," Hiccup said, "Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Sun, you guys should get pieces. Then we can make a break for the cliff."

With an affirmative from the three, they all quickly rushed to what remained for pieces and took one.

"I'm queen of the castle," Nora sang with glee.

"King baby," Sun held his piece high in the air.

"I like horses," Ruby held her piece, "But I do think dragons look more awesome to ride."

"I think I'm fine on the ground," Jaune laughed nervously while holding his piece. "Castles are more my thing."

"Then let's get moving," Hiccup ran forward. "Come on. We're almost there."

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

To say that Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch were satisfied wasn't an accurate description.

They were beyond that. They were impressed immensely by the promise shown by the pairs made. All of them showed great ability to work together with a few bumps here and there. They'd show some great combat abilities, some more unorthodox than others, but still effective.

Already they both knew that this would be a most promising class for the coming year. Maybe the best that Beacon Academy had seen in many generations.

"They all show immense promise," Glynda stated. "But Hiccup Haddock is one to watch out for."

"Indeed," Ozpin stared at his scroll. "He leads naturally as if he's done so before. He coordinates with everyone and tries to know them. And they all follow his lead without question or hesitation."

"And his aura is something of an anomaly," Ms. Goodwitch pulled up a recording of his battle with the Grimm. "This dragon semblance form, I've never seen anything quite like it."

"I can understand why he wouldn't put it on his transcript," Ozpin asserted, "But just the same, he shows an ability that we should take note of."

"I will certainly make note of it," she switched off her scroll. "I look forward to seeing what else Mr. Haddock can do in class."

Ozpin nodded his head in agreement. Mr. Haddock certainly was something else, something different from the many.

 **I did it again. I wrote a super-long chapter, and I did it without feeling like I'm dragging myself through it. That's awesome.**

 **Then again, I might think it's good what I wrote. I found myself being really inconsistent with details in this chapter. I made efforts to correct these errors and I certainly hope I didn't overlook anything. But enough about what I think. What I want to know now is what do you guys think.**

 **If you guys loved this chapter, leave it in a review. If you guys hated this chapter, tell me why. If you want to offer me ideas, do so. I want to hear everyone's opinion if I can. The more I know, the better I can write this.**

 **Teams and partners have been formed, part canon, part non-canon. However, romances haven't been cemented yet. So I'm still looking for opinions about that. I'm also running many pairings in my mind as well. I just have to find the best combinations of personality and fighting styles and traits. Perhaps one of you will give me the perfect pairing with the right ideas. Who knows?**

 **Thanks to all who read this story, and remember, believe you can, and you're halfway there.**

 **Peace out!**


	5. Chapter 5: End to a Beginning

Chapter 5: End to a Beginning

 **Beacon Academy**

 **Emerald Forest**

 **First-Year Initiation**

The group of twelve combatants sprinted their way to what they instantly recognized to be their main destination: the place where Professor Ozpin told them all to meet to finish the initiation. This was the only place that matched his description: a cliff.

They were all excited to see what would happen after it was all over. It certainly was exciting for an initiation. They all had partners now, but they would all soon have teams when they got back. Who would be on their teams they wondered?

The sound of something screeching brought all to a halt as they scanned their surroundings. It was a Nevermore, that much was certain. The sound reverberated from many different places it seemed.

"Well," Hiccup said, "It was bound to come back."

And then it became visible. It came to a stop on top of what appeared to be another part of a temple structure. Folding its wings, it started in their general direction. And no further moves were made. All of them knew instantly what was going on, and frowns played out on most faces, save for Nora.

"It knows we need to stay here," Penny asserted, "It will continue to hinder us until we kill it."

"As long as it remains airborne," Hiccup said, "It's a major problem."

"So lets clip the wings," Ruby voiced. "A grounded Nevermore is a dead Nevermore."

"Easier said than done, Ruby," Yang replied. "Only one of us can fly. Unless everyone's been holding out on us."

Nobody responded, confirming what Yang already said.

"If I engage in an air battle," Hiccup pointed to the Nevermore, "I could be wasting time. I want this done as quickly as we can. We've come too far only to be stalled now."

"Perhaps one of us can support you in the air," Pyrrha suggested, "Are you capable of carrying someone with you?

"I've never had a rider before," Hiccup shook his head. "Until now, I've never needed one."

"DIBS," Ruby called out first.

"Nuh-uh, Ruby," Yang disagreed. "I found him first. I made friends with him first. This one's mine."

"Yang," Ruby argued, "I have a sniper rifle. I can shoot this thing and actually hit it. I can provide a tactical advantage in the air"

"Ruby," Yang retaliated, "You can bet that we'll be getting up close and personal. And I'm all about that."

Hiccup's head looked to both of the bickering sisters, trying to decide a way for them to get along. Clearly they wanted the chance to fly with him, and if he had to bet, some of the others wanted to as well.

Like Nora.

"What about me," Nora cheered, "I've got the firepower."

Just the same, the argument had to stop.

"Guys," Hiccup shouted.

Both sisters and the bubbly bomber stopped and looked to him. Once he was certain that they wouldn't interrupt him again, he continued.

"I'm not taking anyone on joy rides right now. We've got an initiation. If anyone's riding me, it'll have to be Penny."

"Why her," Ruby and Yang whined.

"She's my partner," Hiccup said simply.

"But we're you friends," Yang recalled.

"But you are not a friend in the way that I am," Penny chimed in.

Everyone gave Hiccup and his partner an inquisitive stare. What in Remnant could she be talking about? What kind of friend was she to Hiccup? They barely knew each other.

"Later guys," Hiccup shook his head. "Another story."

Still, all eyes were focused on the Penny as she stood by Hiccup's side, and she looked at everyone else, her eyes looking to be a bit intimidated by all of this attention. Hiccup noticed her changing attitude and carefully put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and gave him a small look of gratitude and thanks.

"Guys," Hiccup sighed, "It's a bit complicated. But she's my partner. She goes with me. But I promise you guys that you can have a chance at it if you want. Later."

"He's right," Blake nodded. "We're wasting time arguing about this."

"Fine," Yang pouted. "And here I thought I could become really awesome."

"Now that we're on the subject of later rides," Ruby looked around. "I call DIBS."

"No you don't sis," Yang narrowed her eyes.

That was enough of this. Hiccup bit his lips as he marched over and stepped between the two of them.

"And as the dragon here," Hiccup said. "I decide who gets to go first after initiation."

The sisters might've continued to argue if it weren't for the fact that he was glaring daggers at both of them, and that reminded him about what he could do. They backed down quietly, both sisters still wanting to argue further if their expression were any indications.

"Alright, now that's settled," Jaune interjected, "But what now? We need a plan."

"Hiccup and I will attempt to ground the Nevermore," Penny said. "The rest of you all can make certain that we aren't ambushed from the ground. Other Grimm may have heard us while we fought at the temple."

"And when it's down," Sun asked.

"Take it out with extreme prejudice," Neptune armed himself.

"Like the drinking cup," Ruby asked.

"That's a chalice," Ren said.

"Like the building," Ruby tried again.

"That's an edifice," Pyrrha responded.

"Don't do anything unusually loud and we'll be fine," Hiccup said. "In the meantime, we take down the Nevermore."

When no one objected, Hiccup put some space between himself and the others. His transformation took only a few seconds. Once resuming his dragon form, his head motioned at Penny, who carefully stepped forward. Making certain not to do anything to harm Hiccup, she carefully climbed onto his back. Strangely enough, she felt anything but uncertain. And she was about to take off in a dragon that had torn apart a group of Grimm without so much as a scratch.

But Penny wasn't like normal people. She wasn't even like the other students here.

She touched him at the base of his neck, and the dragon craned its head to look at her.

"Aww," Ruby cooed, stepping forward, "That's cute."

When the black and red girl reached over to try and pet the dragon, Hiccup gave her the same response that he gave Penny when he first met her: he growled. Ruby shied back instantly, a small squeak escaping her mouth. Everyone else looked surprised and tense.

"Hey, Hiccup," Yang stepped forward. "What's up with the attitude?"

Yang stepped forward and tried to touch him as Ruby had tried, but he refused her as well, growling and baring his teeth. Yang didn't push forward, but she didn't back down either. So she turned to the only person who knew what the deal was.

"Penny," Yang called. "How come you get to ride him? What did you do to make you special?"

Penny took only a moment to understand why Hiccup was refusing the two sisters. And if she had to guess, he would refuse everyone else the same way he refused her. He might trust them in his Human form, but this was another situation altogether. He had to trust them as a dragon as well. And in order for that to happen, they had to trust him first.

"Why does that Nevermore just stare at us," Jaune asked. "I mean, not that I'm complaining, but that's just creepy."

"Give Hiccup your trust," Penny ignored Jaune, "Being a dragon is different than him as a person. He wishes to know that you will not harm him if you touch him."

"And how would I do that," Yang tilted her head. "Or does he even understand what we're talking about?"

Hiccup decided to retaliate in kind by using his tail and hitting Yang on the back of her own head. Ruby covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling. Ren shook his head. Pyrrha smiled lightly. Weiss crossed her arms in a huff. Nora laughed without remorse.

And Yang did not appreciate that move one bit.

"Oh no," Yang pointed at Hiccup, "You didn't."

The dragon gave her narrowed eyes, a clear sign of annoyance.

"Yang," Blake stepped forward. "Let's not make fun of him. Penny, what do we need to do?"

"If you want his trust," Penny explained. "You have to trust that he won't hurt you."

Everyone seemed to be confused by this still. But then Blake stepped forward and looked into Hiccup's eyes. He too stared back, watching her with careful intent. Closing her eyes she turned her head away, and she carefully put her hand out.

Hiccup's eyes slowly opened up from their narrowed gaze as he stared into Blake's open hand. He didn't move, simply looking. The rest of them held back as they waited for something to happen. Anything happening at all would be welcome.

So when Hiccup leaned in and placed his nose on her hand, the tension rose up just a bit more, only to be let go of when they saw the dragon close his eyes as if in a peaceful state.

Blake worked up the courage to look into the dragon's eyes as they opened.

"You understand," Penny grinned.

"More like I've done this sort of thing before," Blake stepped closer, placing her other hand under the dragon's chin.

Everyone watched as the dragon began to purr like a kitten under Blake's touch. It was strange to watch a creature of mythical legend which was suppose to be dangerous and hostile beyond word, act like a common house pet. Of course no one would say that out loud. Hiccup could understand them just fine.

"Guys," Ren said. "I think that Nevermore is getting tired of watching us."

As he said, the Nevermore spread its wings and began to let out a screech. Which meant more noise. And more Grimm coming their way likely.

"We can do this later," Blake retreated quickly.

Hiccup stepped back, and turned to face the mutual enemy. He let out a roar to warn the Nevermore. It was clearly meant to intimidate and scare, but the giant Grimm refused to back down.

No more had to be spoken.

The dragon raised its wings, everyone marvelling at the wingspan. With a great leap, both partners took off. Everyone watched with wonder and concern.

"Oh look," Nora pointed. "The Death Stalker wants to play some more. And he brought friends!"

The ground team turned to see that Nora was indeed right. A small force of Grimm were making their way across the field. They clearly were in the mood for a bit of blood.

"Does anyone have a plan," Pyrrha asked. "We didn't exactly plan this one that well."

"We need crowd control," Jaune answered. "Ruby, you've got the range. Take down as many as you can."

"Got it," Ruby nodded.

"Pyrrha," he looked to his partner, "You've got range too. Help Ruby pick some off."

"Sure thing," she agreed.

"Weiss," Jaune gestured to the heiress. "If you can, keep the Death Stalker distracted, at least until the other Grimm are down."

"I shouldn't be listening to a dunce like you," Weiss grumbled, "But seeing as you have a plan, and one that is adequate, I will do it."

"The rest of us," Jaune looked to the close-quarter fighters.

"Looking forward to it," Yang cocked Ember Celica. "Ready to rock and roll."

"More things to smash," Nora brought out her weapon.

"Why not," Ren brought out his guns. "Already took down a small army."

They had no need to charge forward as the Grimm had already done so for them. Yang charged and shot one square in the face, the blast causing a wound. She followed up with an uppercut to snap its neck.

Ruby moved in next, two Beowolves meeting her. She brought out her scythe, catching one with the pointed end of the weapon, and obliterating the other ones head with a well-placed shot. A moment later, the head of the caught one was severed.

Blake charged at at Ursa head-on. At the last moment, she left a clone for the Grimm to kill while she slid under it and struck with Gambol Shroud under, causing the giant monster to collapse in pain. Jumping on its back, she quickly retracted her weapon into a gun and shot at the weak point, causing it to collapse.

Nora had already skipped ahead of the others, using her absurd strength to propel herself into the heat of the Grimm ranks, then jumping high in the air, and then allowing Magnhild to slam into the ground, causing a shockwave to toss a single wave of Grimm back into another, causing a wide opening in their ranks. Her strength allowed her to casually take most Grimm with relative ease.

Ren quickly followed up by taking careful aim with Storm Flower. He stopped long enough only to make certain his shots killed. And just as quickly as he stopped, he moved forward again, his eyes furrowed in concentration. He quickly shifted his body to allow momentum to his next physical strike.

Pyrrha and Jaune were tag-teaming, using each other as momentum as they both downed Grimm one after another in an alternating fashion. He quickly deflected a blow, all the while holding his shield up for Pyrrha to use as a platform and jump from. She did a few flips, her weapon in its rifle form and taking down multiple Grimm with luck shots.

Weiss hung back, trying to not only keep the large Death Stalker at bay, but also channelling glyphs and sending out wider-ranged attacks to off-balance as many Grimm as she could. She couldn't spread herself too thin as she would wear out her own semblance in the process. She ducked as a stray Grimm tried to claw at her and ran through it with Myrtenaster before sidestepping and allowing the corpse to collapse.

"Guys," Jaune yelled out. "Don't split up too much. We can't afford to lose each other."

"Stay with friends," Nora shouted happily. "Got it."

"Take it seriously, Nora," Ren called out as he gunned down another Grimm.

"Aw come on, party crashers," Yang cheered. "This is just so much fun."

"I'm beginning to question your definition of fun," Blake yelled next.

"Jaune does bring up a good point," Pyrrha threw her shield. "We must not stray far."

"Tell that to Hiccup and Penny," Ruby blasted a hole through a beowolf. "They're probably having the time of their lives up there."

Although none of them were paying attention with their eyes to the battle that raged above, they were more than aware that there was something going on seeing as both flying forms were trading shots at each other.

"Would you dolts focus," Weiss channelled another glyph. "When need to hold these Grimm back."

"Only until the giant bird is dead," Neptune fired in rapid succession. "No point in sticking around here."

"No kidding," Sun twirled his weapons, stunning before killing with the gun part.

As more and more Grimm were killed, they began to create a barrier between the hunters-in-training and the Grimm still charging. But still they fought on without showing any signs of relenting.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Penny steadied herself as she and her dragon mount continued to fire at the Nevermore. It was certainly giving a chase, and was certainly not one to remain in place for long.

"Hiccup," she patted him. "Perhaps more speed?"

He seemed to understand what she wanted and his wings began to flap harder and Penny found the wind rushing by at a very fast pace. Much faster than what she expected. But her surprise was only momentary as she took aim with her blades and fired again. The blade singed the tip of the Nevermore's left wing, and it crowded in anger, before doing a spin and firing its own feathers.

Hiccup instictively did an elaborate spin and expertly dodged all of the projectiles, and then retaliating with a purple blast. The shot hit it right in the face, and the Nevermore screeched. Penny quickly followed up with her own shot, aiming for the right wing, which forced the Nevermore to steer away, albeit blindly.

And that led the Nevermore right into a bad maneuver that could easily be exploited.

With the Nevermore trying to reorient itself. that gave the dragon and the rider enough time to fire blasts at the exposed wings at very close range. Despite the Grimm's difficult exterior, it could not withstand the firepower being thrown at it. With two wings now damaged, it began to desperately lower itself and try to land.

With the loss of speed, Hiccup began to accelerate and move in to finish off the Nevermore.

Penny's eyes glanced down for a moment to see that their fellow peers below were retreating back to the temple bridge. Perhaps they were doing so that they could easily recuperate their losses. The narrow passageway would make for an easier kill window for Grimm.

With the Nevermore out of the way more or less, they could go and assist their friends.

Hiccup began a sharp descent and Penny made certain to that she wouldn't fall, not that she was likely to in any case.

Seeing that the Death Stalker was caught up in trying to get free of Weiss's glyph wrath, Hiccup turned his wings to guide him and his partner towards the large Grimm. Penny positioned her blades once again into a firing position. The wind whizzed by them at a phenomenal pace, but she remained with her eyes narrowed in concentration.

Using accuracy that was impossible for a normal person, she expertly took shots, taking down ten Grimm at once. She stopped and fired another burst, taking down six more. Hiccup fired away from the bridge, and aiming for bunched-up Grimm.

As they passed the bridge at blinding speed, their friends could be heard, but only for the briefest of times. Then they disappeared again, becoming specs as he circled around again.

Hiccup then sharply began to do a fast barrel roll. Penny realized what he was trying to do and she adjusted her blades to intercept and destroy the feather projectiles hurled at them. It would seem that the Nevermore, even grounded, was prepared to fight to the bitter end. And it was positioned at the top of the cliff.

To make matters worse, it let out a loud screech. Enough to likely be heard for miles around. It sounded like a distress call.

Just perfect.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"Do these guys ever stop coming," Jaune growled.

"But this is so much fun," Nora screamed. "And adrenaline-pumping, and thrill-inducing and-"

"NORA," Ren shouted. "FOCUS!"

"If they keep coming like this," Weiss threw another blast. "We'll be overrun."

"We must keep fighting," Pyrrha impaled another. "We must not give in."

"What she said," Yang fired both gauntlets. "Rock in hell."

"But we're going to run out of ammo and or aura soon," Ruby struggled to be heard. "We've already killed at least a hundred."

"One thing at a time," Blake said. "We need to hold them back."

"Besides," Sun spun his gun-chucks, "This should count as an extra on our initiation scores."

"We'd better," Neptune let his weapon cool. "We got a strategy and everything."

Despite the words of each of the hunters-in-training, they all knew that sooner or later, they would eventually succumb to exhaustion or a lack of ammunition or a lack or aura or maybe all of these things combined. And with the entire forest on them, it was only a matter of time before they fell.

They needed something to happen different to happen.

The first one to receive the first actual wound was Ruby surprisingly enough. She may have been a skilled fighter, but she had been switching between aiming her sniper rifle and slashing at the Grimm. Both actions had begun to wear her down.

A Beowolf was able to penetrate her defenses and land a paw to her side, causing a three-pronged claw mark on her battle dress.

"Ruby," Yang moved to help her sister.

Ruby managed to jump back just in time to avoid an Ursa that wanted to crush her. Yang stepped in front of her baby sister and pushed down her exhaustion to deliver an uppercut to the Ursa before striking with deadly force.

Weiss, against her better judgement and her pride, went to help her partner. She kneeled down and went to see the extent of the injury. This was going to take some time to heal. It was not a scratch. Aura wouldn't work fast enough.

"Here," Weiss offered reluctantly. "This should help."

The heiress quickly applied a bit of ice to Ruby's side, and the little red and black huntress seethed quietly. It hurt, but she'd pull through. She was tough. That didn't stop Yang from forcing Ruby back from the action.

"Damn you Hiccup," Yang growled. "You should be fighting with us, not fly up there playing 'Chase the Nevermore.'"

Then the sound of a very pained screech forced all heads to reel in pain for a moment. Normally this would leave them open to attack from the Grimm. But the dark creatures did not attack. In fact, they ceased to attack completely. Rather, they turned and fled. All the Grimm waiting to cross the bridge were now retreating into the forest.

By the time the hunters could get their ears back into shape, all they saw were the bodies of the dead Grimm, but no one else.

"Look," Blake pointed to the cliff.

The hunters looked up to see a very dead Nevermore up top. And on top of its corpse was Hiccup still in dragon form, and Penny. A mighty roar was let loose, what sounded again like an intimidation roar. It sounded very clearly throughout the entirety of the surrounding area.

"You were saying Yang," Blake turned to her partner.

The blonde didn't let any sort of annoyance cross her features. She simply looked relieved. And Blake didn't question it either. Ruby was safe now.

And they had all finished the initiation.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The airships had returned to Beacon Academy swiftly and Ruby was given immediate medical attention. Fortunately, the wound wasn't serious and it wouldn't leave any scarring or damage, for which Ruby was grateful and Yang was happy. Weiss had scolded her partner about not being fast enough, which earned a glare from the blonde brawler. Blake said nothing, but her being with Ruby meant that she cared.

But Ruby didn't want to stay in the infirmary for long. She wanted to get to the assigning of teams. And after much whining and some of her best bambi eyes, she eventually got out of there, with a reminder to not strain herself too much for the next couple of days.

They were met with a crowd of the gathered initiations who had made it back. Miss Goodwitch was there to greet them.

"Ah, Ms. Rose," she greeted. "It's good to see you up and about. Please take your position."

After searching the crowd for a moment, Ruby and Yang caught sight of Hiccup, and he waved them over to where he, Penny, Sun, and Neptune were standing. There was also Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora as well.

And Professor Ozpin was already calling off the names of the next team.

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark."

The four huntsman-in-training came forward when called up.

The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester."

They left the stage with an applause from the entire body within the room. As they left the stage, the next team was called forward. The names weren't familiar to Ruby, but that would change as the year went on.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie."

The four of them quickly moved from the crowd and stepped up to the headmaster, hands behind their backs. Ruby smiled at Jaune. She may have only known him for a short time, but she called him a friend.

"The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR."

Nora was excited and simply jumped onto Ren in a hug, which he responded awkwardly.

"Led by Jaune Arc," Ozpin pointed to the blonde boy.

Jaune seemed really taken aback by this. He turned to Pyrrha, like to confirm that he hadn't heard wrong. She simply smiled at him and lightly punched him, but it was enough to knock him off his feet. Ruby snickered a bit.

"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long."

Ruby looked to her new teammates, and they nodded before taking to the stage, giving winks and brief high-fives to their newest friends.

The four girls turned to Ozpin, who observed them all before putting on a light smile.

"The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you work together as Team RWBY."

That made Ruby perk her head up.

"Led by Ruby Rose."

And now her eyes widened in shock.

Then Yang hugged her sister tightly.

"I'm so proud of you," the elder sister cried out.

Blake remained rather calm about the decision, but Weiss looked surprised, maybe even a bit offended.

As the four of them made their way off the stage, the final team was called out.

"Penny Polendina. Sun Wukong. Hiccup Haddock III. Neptune Vasilias."

The four of them exchanged brief congratulations and thumbs-ups to Team RWBY as they made their way to the stage.

They all stood at attention. Ozpin's expression reminded them of an expecting person, with many expectations. That could be either good or bad.

"The four of your retrieved the black royal pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team HSPN (Hasping)."

They four teammates looked to one another.

"Led by Hiccup Haddock III."

Hiccup smiled at this statement. This wouldn't be the first time he was appointed as a leader. And while he certainly didn't expect to be one here, it felt good to be team leader.

"Friend Hiccup," Penny embraced. "You are team leader."

"Yeah," Hiccup put his arms around his partner. "I am."

"Congrats, Hicster," Sun clasped Hiccup on the back.

"We're in together guys," Neptune joined in.

With them all bunched up, it may as well be a group hug. And the cheering hadn't stopped.

"Congratulations to all of you," Ozpin announced. "I see this year to be a most interesting one indeed."

The huntsman's eyes turned to team HSPN.

"And I great expectations for you all," he whispered to himself.

 **Okay, so I didn't really feel like dragging out the initiation because I feel that everyone knows what happened at this point. This is sort of a preview of battle scenes. But for this story, I will focus more on character and story. As much as I like action, a good story and good characters are the preferable traits.**

 **So I came up with Hasping for a name. It's got Hiccup, Penny, Sun, and Neptune. And I've got some major plans for this team. And I mean I intend to deviate a lot from the canon story. That's not to say that I will completely tear canon down. I need to watch and rewatch RWBY in order to make certain that I know the story and understand it very well.**

 **The next thing I've been meaning to put down is potential relationships with characters. I've come up with a bunch of reasons that Hiccup could be paired with certain people in terms of romances. So I'll break down the pairings I've thought about so far.**

 **Ruby is a relatively easy character to pair with Hiccup because they're both into engineering weapons and other technological stuff. Plus, they also are morally very aligned. They both have a strong sense of justice and the need to protect. Also, they're both in a way, socially awkward. On the flip side, though, they make for loyal friends. They're both prone to making mistakes, but they learn quickly and often don't let their mistakes hamper them too much. And at heart, they both are pure souls.**

 **Yang is more challenging to write in my opinion. She is the complete opposite of Hiccup in regards to many personality traits. Yang is so flirtatious, and Hiccup is so awkward. Yang is also confident in a different way than Hiccup is. She likes fighting, he likes words before fighting. They're opposites, but maybe that will work. The one thing that they do share in common is sarcasm. Though I think Hiccup can take it to a higher degree that Yang can. A clash of some things but a complement of others.**

 **Blake actually may be more connectable than some might think. She could easily connect with him on the basis of them being part animal. And they both share a rational mind of thinking before doing. They also share a love for knowledge and reading. And I realized that the two of them have a tendency to run away from things. Hiccup has run away from responsibility and Blake has run away from everything and not facing it head-on. But they're not above admitting that they have to change themselves.**

 **Weiss, I had to think about this one a lot. Both of them are the heirs. They shoulder much responsibility. They both actually can become very arrogant sometimes. They are also very diligent at their work. Hiccup can be a very polite character, and that could be a good thing in Weiss's view. But the more I think about it, like Yang, Hiccup and Weiss simply clash too much in personality. But like Yang, that could work as an opposites attract sort of thing.**

 **Penny, Hiccup's partner. What to say about this one? Penny is sort of like Hiccup's newest test of friendship. She is a bit of an extreme in personality like Nora. But Hiccup values friendships and family above all things, and Penny seems to place immense value on friendship. Add this to the fact that both of them are not fully Human and they already have a strong bond. She is also naturally curious, and I have no doubt that she can learn quickly like Hiccup. No secrets essentially.**

 **So those are the factors I've thought about when considering romances. But I would like to see if anyone else has an idea for another pairing that I hadn't considered, or if you've got more to add to what I've listed above.**

 **That being said, if you loved this chapter, a review would be great. If you hated this chapter, tell me why. If you've got feedback, do so. All feedback is appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading, and remember, there are friends all around that have yet to be met.**

 **Peace out!**


	6. Chapter 6: Organizing a Room

Chapter 6: Organizing a Room

 **Beacon Academy**

 **Student Dorms**

 **Late Afternoon**

"Our room should just be down this hall," Hiccup looked to his guide sheet.

With the initiation over, it was officially time to move in. All initiates that had made it into the first-year class were gathering their things and moving into the dorms. Hiccup hadn't brought too many things from home. Just a backpack of odd and ends along with his weapons and a few multi-tools and equipment and some other outfits

Penny didn't have anything with her surprisingly, but Hiccup knew that she had her weapons stored somewhere. He wouldn't ask yet, but he did want to know. When he first met her in the Emerald Forest, he could immediately see that she was not normal. In fact, his dragon senses told her that she wasn't as Human as she looked on the inside. But she had aura, so she was living enough.

Sun had brought just a few things, nothing of particular difficulty to get up the stairs. His weapons, some change of clothes, and some other things that Hiccup didn't see.

Neptune too had few things. A few books, some equipment for gear maintenance, other outfits, nothing different from the other guys.

And they'd all been issued scrolls by the school. All of them had taken the time to make sure that it was in working order and they could connect to the school systems.

So now they were currently in their room for the first time. It was bare and minimal with only a few drawers, enough to fit some clothes, a large closet meant for all of them, and one bathroom for all of them. Four beds line the walls, each of them clean and organized. And still there was some space left. For a moment, they all took in the room and were satisfied with it.

And then a thought occurred to the guys.

Three guys. One girl.

And they had to share a single room.

Just a bit awkward.

"So what now, Penny," Hiccup turned to her. "How will this work?"

"You are all my teammates," she shrugged. "I trust that you will not disturb my belongings."

"No, ginger," Sun shook his head. "I think the Hicster meant just being with us. You know, it must be weird for you. Lots of us guys, one of you…"

"Not really," Penny said innocently. "Should I be?"

"We thought you would be more reluctant," Neptune voiced. "If you want, we could-"

"You know what guys," Hiccup said. "Team Juniper have to deal with the same thing. I think we can too. Besides, Ozpin must trust students to be mature enough."

"Yes," Penny nodded her head. "We are all mature enough to handle this situation of gender-shared room."

The guys regarded Penny carefully for a moment before turning to each other. Slowly, they began to nod in acceptance to their situation. They would get use to it eventually. Besides, it wasn't like they were interested in her in that way.

"Alright," Hiccup hefted his bag. "Now that just leaves us with bed assigning."

"I get the window first," Neptune jumped to one of the beds closest to the window.

"I call dibs on the second one," Sun tossed his belongings on the second bed next to the window.

Penny and Hiccup looked to each other.

"Guess that leaves us with the other two," Hiccup sighed. "You have a preference partner?"

"I don't have a preference," Penny stated.

Hiccup looked to his left and right. It didn't take him long to figure out which side he preferred. He was left-handed after all.

"The left side I guess," Hiccup pointed.

"Then I will take the right," Penny walked to her side.

"Now we've got that settled," Neptune sat up from his bed, "How about we decorate?"

"I hope you don't have anything that's...uh," Hiccup struggled for the word.

"Hey, have some faith fearless leader," Sun said. "We're not like that at all."

"Neptune's attitude would indicate otherwise," Hiccup deadpanned.

"It's called being cool," the blue-haired boy argued. "And being cool is far better than being what you're suggesting."

"Right," Hiccup stared skeptically. "Anyway, we've got unpacking to do. Might as well get to it. We've got classes tomorrow."

"Joy," Sun spoke with obvious sarcasm. "I'll make sure my scroll's full of apps to keep me busy."

"Worry about that later," Hiccup stood up. "Right now, we get to work here."

The next few hours were spent decorating the room as best as they could. Neptune had packed the most stuff to put on the walls. A few posters of weapons, several more techy posters, some band posters, and a few random ones that made no sense. Hiccup wasn't that all in-tune with mainstream things in Remnant mostly because he grew up never really being exposed to these sorts of things, but he could learn about it when there was time.

Sun had a couple of posters of some bands Hiccup didn't recognize. There were also some small odd and end items that looked liked they had more sentimental value than actual use. Some tools, his gun-chucks lying on his bed.

Penny kept her area clean and neat, but he did notice the few fashion items as well. So at least some girly things. But apart from this and a bagful unusual looking devices, there was nothing else that she possessed. Strange, Hiccup thought, but he didn't care to pry too much into her personal stuff. Not unless he was given a reason.

Hiccup organized his space so that his equipment was stacked neatly. A small desk stood by his bed. He had also take

They continued to work well into the early evening and by the time they were done, they had made the room into a more decorated room. Most of the wall remained plain with a few posters here and there. Hiccup had placed a map of Remnant on his side along with a map of Vale. He likd maps as much as he did drawing. It would take him at least a week to get a basic familiarity with the city. Probably in a month he would have it all mapped out in his head. Now to just find the cool places to go buying stuff.

By the time that they were finished, it was well into the evening. The sun had set and now the sky was lit with stars. Hiccup had been gracious enough to turn on the light so everyone could see what they were doing.

They stood together, taking in their room. It was still in need of a few additional cool things, but other than that, it was their new home for the next four years.

"Wow," Sun applauded. "We still have room."

"We still have plenty of stuff to add later," Neptune pointed out. "We're not done just yet."

"Perhaps a few more generic decorations would bode well for us all," Penny chimed in.

"We'll cross that bridge once we get there," Hiccup said. "For now, I think it's time we wind down. We've got classes tomorrow."

Neptune grabbed a binder from his possessions. He began to flip through some pages until he found exactly what he was looking for: a class schedule.

"Well let's see," Neptune read. "We've got Grimm Studies at 9:00pm. Then we've got History at 10:00. Then we have Combat Studies at 11:00. Lunch at noon. Then Aura Training at 12:30. And at 1:30 we've got Tactics Class.

"Sounds real good," Hiccup commented. "Especially combat class."

"Grimm studies," Sun reiterated. "Don't we already know about that kind of stuff?"

"Apparently not," Penny said. "Otherwise it wouldn't be required of us to take the class."

"Ginger's got a point," Neptune continued to read. "But either way, we've got our work cut out for ourselves."

"Hope at the very least we go out hunting for Grimm," Sun commented. "I'd hate to think we're just listening to words."

"There are teachers for a reason," Hiccup shrugged. "But yeah, some action doesn't hurt. I learn better on the battlefield anyway."

"So you've fought Grimm before," Sun's curiosity piqued.

"Not really," Hiccup sat on his bed. "Where I grew up, we've got dragons instead of Grimm."

"Wait, dragons are real," Neptune paused.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Is it so hard to believe after what you saw me do?"

"Good point," the blue-haired boy conceded.

"It's not really a life that I always liked," Hiccup sighed. "For fifteen years, I couldn't fight even if my life depended on it."

"But you were most impressive during the initiation," Penny commented.

"Yep," the dragon boy turned to her. "A lifetime worth of training condensed into three years. Talk about cheating my way into Beacon."

"It's not cheating if you attained the skills by your own merit," Penny eyed Hiccup. "Did you achieve your combat skills by your own merit?"

"I guess," Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. "So that's my fact about myself for the day. How about you guys?"

"Came from Vacuo too," Sun shrugged. "Like to climb trees and I'm Faunus. I think you already knew that."

"I grew up in Mistral," Neptune sat down. "Always was into intellectual stuff."

"More like nerdy stuff," Sun snorted. "You wouldn't believe what this guy's afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything," Neptune denied hastily.

Hiccup and Penny instantly caught onto the rather rushed response and momentarily gazed at each other before regarding Neptune carefully. He was afraid of something, that much was certain.

"Is it something that I should know about," Hiccup bit his lips.

"You'll find out eventually," the Faunus boy grinned evilly.

"I told you," Neptune narrowed his eyes. "I'm not afraid of anything."

Hiccup said nothing about it, maintaining a smile of amusement at the antics of his new teammates, but inside the words of his father spoke to him.

 _Everyone is afraid of something._

And suddenly, Hiccup felt a feeling of homesickness. How strange that he was missing the place that wasn't friendly to him for most of his life. Fifteen years of being ridiculed gone and replaced with three years of being hailed as the Pride of Berk.

"I'm going to go for some air," Hiccup got up and headed for the door. "I won't be long."

"Already tired of us Dragon Boy," Sun feigned a hurt expression.

"I've dealt with all sorts of people before you guys," Hiccup reminisced. "You guys remind me of them."

And Hiccup meant that with every word. They all did remind him of someone back home, but he didn't dare think of his new teammates as replacements for his friends back home. They were unique and different people.

"Hiccup," Penny called out.

The leader of team HSPN turned to his partner.

"Can I join you," she asked timidly.

He studied her for a moment, his mind trying to find a reason not to allow her, but her look was urgent and somewhat pleading. When he saw this, all form of resistance broke down.

"Sure," he shrugged. "You can tag along, Penny."

She seemed to jump at this and quickly left the room. Hiccup looked to Sun and Neptune, who shrugged their shoulders at their teammate's enthusiasm to be alone with their team leader.

 _Guess I'll find out what's going on,_ Hiccup thought. _Hope it's nothing too bad._

With that, he carefully closed the door. Penny waited for him expectedly.

"Lead the way," she said.

Hiccup once again reached into one of his pouches to retrieve the map of the dormitory building. With some careful watching of signs and reference to the map, there were eventually able to find their way outside.

Hiccup chose to simply stare at the statue that stood at the entrance of the school. It was likely someone famous that he'd never heard of. He seriously needed to start hitting the books.

"That's Jacob Arc," Penny commented. "A noteable war hero from the Great War."

"Any connection to Jaune," Hiccup asked.

"I believe Jaune Arc is a descendant," Penny nodded. "I would ask him to be sure."

Hiccup nodded, taking another long look at it. It must be terrifying for the young Arc to live up to this hero. As far as Hiccup could see it, he was a brilliant tactician, but a lacking fighter.

"Hey," he turned to his partner. "This is probably redundant, but I think we should have a proper introduction to one another. I feel like I haven't really gotten to know you during the initiation."

"Fair enough," Penny made eye contact. "Salutations, friend. I am Penny Polendina. It is nice to meet you. I'm from Atlas."

"Hello," Hiccup nodded to her. "I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. I come from Vacuo, or the island of Berk to be more specific."

Penny offered a hand to Hiccup, and he shook it, noting the surprising strength behind her small hands.

And if Hiccup didn't know better, he would say that there was a look in her eyes that indicated some sort of longing or want. He wasn't sure if that was even what he was sensing. It could be nothing at all.

"Penny," Hiccup asked.

"Oh, sorry, friend Hiccup," she let go of his hand, blushing.

Now that Penny was looking very bashful, Hiccup couldn't help but admit that she was just adorable-looking. She struck him as a sort of person who hadn't learned about some harsh life lessons, and a small part of the boy hoped that her nature wouldn't change if she learned these lessons.

"It's okay, Penny," he grasped her shoulder. "If you ever need me for something, tell me. I trust you. You are my chosen dragon rider. after all."

She was able to look up at him and give him a look of happiness and wonder and appreciation.

"Thank you," she whispered softly. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright," he nodded, letting go of her.

The two of just proceeded to stare out anywhere, with no particular interest on any single thing. The silence was not uncomfortable, far from it. Words weren't needed in this moment. Even if they had just met that day, the two of them had formed a bond of trust. And that would be enough for them for now.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Penny, despite being a robot, did require sleep for the same reason that any normal Human or Faunus needed sleep: to rest and recharge her systems. She was made to imitate as many Human functions as possible

Of course nobody really knew she was a robot, except for General Ironwood and her father, and select few individuals. It was necessary to preserve this secrecy for a great many reasons. Humans were fearful of the things they didn't know and understand.

But after the initiation yesterday, and after seeing that her partner, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a dragon, how could she not be questioning herself?

She had to tell him somehow; if he learned about what she was from someone else, he might be upset.

But he wasn't that kind of person, was he?

As she shut down for the night, she debilitated this much.

And now she could hear the sound of an alarm clock.

She opened her eyes and rose from her bed to watch as her partner was getting up. He wore a simple t-shirt and shorts as his sleep attire. His hair was messy, well more so than it usually was. It was actually very silly-looking.

Her eyes shifted to the two other boys in the room. They too were rising, though a bit more reluctantly so.

"Good morning team," Hiccup yawned. "Anyone feeling sore?"

"Not really," Neptune stretched. "Though I would appreciate a bit more sleep."

"Be happy that you got a good amount of sleep," Hiccup said. "I've been up in the dead of the night and early morning. You've got nothing to complain about."

"Sheesh," Neptune turned to his leader. "How do you even function?"

"When you're really tired," Hiccup stated. "You just fall asleep when your head hits the pillow. So who's going to shower first?"

Everyone looked to each other, and it seemed that no one had an answer. Then Sun jumped in with his own suggestion.

"We were graded for our initiation right," Sun spoke. "Wasn't that sent to our scrolls? We should let the best grade go first."

"Fair enough," Hiccup grabbed his scroll. "Alright. let's see."

Everyone was quick to grab their scrolls and see their grades delivered to them. As they gathered their scrolls and looked up their initiation grades, their faces lit up for the most part. It appeared that they got good grades more or less.

"So what'd you guys get," Hiccup didn't take his eyes from his scroll.

"I got a 92," Sun said. "Good combat capabilities, nice coordination, practiced Aura ease, and weapon usage. Squabbling teammates apparently caused the point deduction. Figures. Ah well, it's an A."

"I got a 94," Neptune said. "Level-headed, calm, adaptable, always looking for a strategical point. Points off for the same thing as Sun. How is that fair?"

"Fair," Sun looked incredulously. "You're ahead of me."

"Guys," Hiccup got between them. "You both got excellent grades. Be happy for that. I know I am."

"What did you get Hicster," Sun turned to his leader.

"Uh...98," Hiccup read off his scroll, "I don't know why I got two points off though. Strange."

"I have received a 98 as well," Penny chimed in. "What shall we do about this tie?"

"Rock, paper scissors," Neptune said.

"Really," Hiccup deadpanned. "You know what, never mind. We're wasting time talking about it."

Sighing, the dragon boy turned to face his partner, and she held both arms out. He did the same. They gave each other a nod.

Rock.

Paper.

Scissors.

Hiccup produced a rock while Penny produced a paper. Hiccup remained calm; he was a gracious loser anyway.

They repeated again, and this time, Hiccup produced a rock and Penny scissors. Penny didn't seem downtrodden.

The final time was...a tie.

"Tied again," Sun commented. "This could turn out to be a regular thing."

They tried a fourth time. This time, Penny had scissors and Hiccup a paper. The leader of team HSPN laughed a bit.

"You go first, Penny," he said.

"I am thankful, Hiccup," she nodded in appreciation. "I won't be long.'

The girl grabbed her school uniform and quickly made her way to their bathroom, shutting the door. Hiccup glanced back to his teammates.

"You thinkg Team RWBY and JNPR are up," Sun gestured his head.

"Probably," Neptune put down his scroll. "I hear that Team RWBY hasn't set up their room yet."

"I'd let them be, blue boy," Hiccup warned. "And if you're going to hit on girls, you could at least choose just one."

Neptune gave a bit of a glare, and Hiccup ignored it.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

It didn't take them too long to get ready. And by the time they had finished and gotten into their uniforms, they still had half an hour, more than enough time to make it to their first class.

So while on the way to class, they all quickly grabbed a light breakfast to charge up their batteries for the day. Hiccup did well to try as many new things as he could. Berk simply didn't have much variety when it came to food. And Hiccup always was eager to learn about new things.

Penny was perfectly capable of eating foods that normal people could, but her robotic body would ultimately not need it. She was a self-sustaining model, and therefore required no outside sustenance for the most part. That being said, she did like to eat food and drink beverages. Her father had always wanted her to enjoy the same things that normal people did, and she grateful.

Sun was ruthless with how much he grabbed. He completely outdid everyone in Team HSPN in terms of food consumption that morning. Even Hiccup, as much as he loved to eat, wasn't eating nearly as much. But then again, they were both from Vacuo. Or maybe it was just today that he was eating a lot. Who knew?

Neptune seemed to be extra picky about what he chose, and he stayed clear of certain dishes that looked unappealing. Nobody commented on this, but it was sort of difficult not to notice.

Their quickly ate their meals and with ten minutes to spare, they entered into the classroom. Students were already there, but the classroom looked only partly full. And Teams RWBY and JNPR were nowhere to be found.

That was not good. They were going to be late at this rate if they didn't get their rears in gear.

Hiccup looked to his teammates to see if they wanted to sit anywhere in particular. They simply gestured to the second row, so their leader just shrugged his shoulders and sat down. Penny sat on his left while Sun and Neptune sat on his right. Reaching into his pocket, Hiccup quickly retrieved his scroll and his notebook. Neptune did the same thing, while Sun looked more or less indifferent. Penny did nothing either, but she remained attentive to the front of the classroom.

Already there were multiple diagrams of Grimm. Each one with extensive detailings about the anatomy of the Grimm, how to expose said weaknesses, and other small side notes. It was a lot for that single board, as large as it was.

The teacher Professor Peter Port was already at the front, ready to give his speech. Team HSPN wasn't sure what to think would happen with this lecture. It could be entertaining or boring. They would lean on the side of caution and assume the latter before the former.

As the professor began to talk, he was cut off by eight teenagers quickly and noisily crash their way into the classroom. All heads turned to see the latecomers.

It was RWBY and JNPR.

How was that not surprising?

After taking their seats, their first lecture began.

 **X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Twenty minutes into the class, it became clear to Team HSPN that these stories, as wild and somewhat boisterous as they sounded, had some nuggets of wisdom or truth. Still, Hiccup found entertainment in it. Gobber had always told him stories like this.

He remembered the Boneknapper quite well.

Hiccup refocused his attention back to the lecture. There was something about Beowolves that Professor Port had said.

He was slightly worried that Penny was going to miss something. She wasn't taking notes, just paying attention. She had insisted that she was going to be fine. Hiccup wanted to object, but he remembered that she was his partner. He trusted her, so he should respect her decision. He was after all her first friend.

The next twenty or so minutes continued into a winded story. Again, details were carefully concealed within the layers.

It was nearing the end of the lecture. About fifteen minutes to go now. Hiccup looked to see that half the class had fallen asleep and those that were awake were in a mix of paying attention and being distracted by something else. Sun had long ago abandoned listening in favor of playing a game on his scroll. Neptune looked like he was half-paying attention. Penny looked absolutely attentive still. And Hiccup continued to write.

"So who here believes themselves to embody the traits of a hunter," Professor Port asked. "Anyone?"

Hiccup raised his hands, only partly hearing the question as he finished taking down notes. What he failed to see was that Weiss also raised her hand as well, at the exact same time as he did.

"Mr. Haddock," Professor Port turned to him. "Ms. Schnee. Excellent. Both of you can change into your combat gear."

Hiccup heard the professor call out Weiss's name, and he looked a bit uncertain. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Weiss, but she wasn't exactly the most friendly person on the outside. But Hiccup believed there was a good friend somewhere underneath. Maybe working with her would change their rather uncertain relationship.

So it was with haste that the two of them changed into their combat gear. Surprisingly, they both came in at the same time. Hiccup held one of his hilts in his hand, but didn't activate it yet. Weiss too had her rapier out as well. If he could, he'd have to ask her how to make a weapon like hers. He might be able to use some of its design.

The dragon boy didn't draw his weapons, instead holding his hands out in an unarmed combat stance.

"Fight well, partner," Penny called out.

"Go get 'em Hicster," Sun called out.

"What he said," Neptune said.

He gave his teammates a small nod of appreciation. His glance momentarily turned to his other new friends in Team RWBY and Team JNPR. Weiss's teammates also gave her a supportive look, but Weiss seemed a bit put off and annoyed by it, or at least at Ruby. Hiccup didn't really dwell on it.

Finally, the two hunters-in-training looked to each other. She gave him a neutral expression, and he nodded to her, along with a light smile. Then they both turned to the cage. It seemed strangely large.

 **It's been a while, but I've had to get ready for the new semester as well as take care of some other business. So please forgive me if updates are rather varied at times.**

 **This was a filler chapter. I did say a deviation from canon. I should probably say that after the next chapter, I will definitely mix it up. I feel like I didn't do that here. Then again, I suppose I have to start somewhere.**

 **Anyway, if you guys liked this chapter, let me know. If you hated it, tell me why. Feedback and ideas is appreciated. Don't be hesitant to offer me anything, whether it's an idea for a chapter or character development.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and remember, courage is a kind of salvation.**

 **Peace out!**


End file.
